Fort Olympus
by Avatarfanx2
Summary: After the Second Giantomachy, the Greek and Roman worlds are ready to come together and establish an era of relative peace. The gods create a new home for both types of demigods, and they look towards a brighter and more fulfilling future. Follow the characters on new adventures and old tribulations as they transition. Welcome to Fort Olympus!
1. Chapter 1: Gifts

**Author's Note:** I'm embarking on a new journey through fanfiction with this piece here. I don't exactly know where I want to take it, but I like what it looks like so far. I have some ideas, and I really want to be able to explore them as we wait for the end of our favorite series. I don't really know how this came up or what I'm trying to achieve, but I like where it is for now. Let me know what you guys think!

**Disclaimer: **_Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ and _The Heroes of Olympians_ and all things related are property of Rick Riordan and Disney Hyperion. I am not making any profit off of this work in any way, shape, or form.

Fort Olympus

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**Chapter 1: Gifts**

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"It is finished," announced Zeus to the assembled army sadly as Porphyrion collapsed into the Earth and Hypnos finished his enchantment to return Gaea to her eternal slumber.

They had suffered many casualties in the war and had sustained many losses. The ancient battlefield of Marathon flowed with blood, both mortal red and immortal golden.

After nearly twenty-four hours of nonstop fighting, the armies of Olympus had defeated their enemies for another eon, and the Fifth Age, the Rule of Zeus, was preserved once again. The cycle had finished, and the circle had come around once again. The armies of Camp Half-Blood, Camp Jupiter, and Olympus itself had finished the job set against them.

"Lord Zeus," Queen Hera addressed her husband, "shall we return?"

"Indeed, Queen Hera."

Hera waved her hand, and all but ten of the assembled demigods vanished.

The Olympian Council, Hades, and Hestia arranged themselves in a circle with the Seven of the Prophecy and Reyna, Thalia, and Nico in the middle. In a burst of light, the twenty-four figures vanished from Marathon and reappeared in the same configuration on Mount Olympus, above the Empire State Building.

The throne room was different from normal. Two additional thrones had been prepared for Hestia and Hades, and the wall behind Zeus' and Hera's thrones had been turned into a giant LED television screen projecting the Council and the demigods in front of it. The doors to the throne room were open, and beyond them, the armies of Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter stood in respect as the gods took their thrones.

With a wave of Zeus' hand, ten golden chairs appeared in front of the council, and the remaining demigods took their assigned places.

"Grandmother Gaea," Zeus announced, "has been put to rest."

Olympus rang with the cheers of thousands of demigods and godlings as the gods took their thrones.

"All demigods who have assisted in this war will go into the history books as the greatest heroes ever assembled. To their leaders, the ones who helped the gods reconcile themselves and defeat their enemies for another eon, we offer them gifts." Zeus' voice was uncharacteristically weary as he finished.

The screen focused in on the ten demigods chosen: Jason Grace, Son of Jupiter; Thalia Grace, Daughter of Zeus; Nico di Angelo, Son of Hades; Reyna Ramirez-Arellano, Daughter of Bellona; Piper McLean, Daughter of Aphrodite; Hazel Levesque, Daughter of Pluto; Frank Zhang, Son of Mars; Leo Valdez, Son of Hephaestus; Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena; and Perseus Jackson, Son of Poseidon.

"Together, you ten will be considered the greatest heroes of all time. All of you have fought in the Second Titanomachy and the Second Giantomachy. You have defeated countless monsters, Titans, Giants, the Earth Mother herself, and even some gods."

There were some scowls around the Council at this, but no one dared interrupt Zeus' speech.

"The Council agrees that you will all be gifted both individually and collectively."

"Jason Grace, Son of King Jupiter, Champion of Queen Hera," Dionysus called.

Jason stood, bowed to Zeus, and kneeled before Dionysus' throne.

"For your defeat of the Titan Krios and your phenomenal battle skills and leadership, the Council offers you the gift of immortality. You will become protector of demigods, and you will lead the armies of Olympus for all time. You are free to refuse and ask for your own gift." For once, even Dionysus did not sound bored with his role on the Council.

The television screen showed Jason's shock at Dionysus' words. But with one look backwards, towards Piper, and Jason knew he couldn't accept.

"Thank you," he said, "for your offer, Olympians. But I don't want it. There are many who are far more deserving than myself."

Zeus look sadly at his son but didn't respond.

"What, then, demigod, do you ask for?" Dionysus continued.

Jason turned back to look at the assembled demigods; some in purple and some in orange; some trained to fight in phalanx formation and some in legion; some wielding spears and some gladius; and he knew his request.

"Honorable Council of Olympus," he intoned, "I request that both Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter be dissolved. I ask the blessing of all of the gods present to build a new home for _all_ half-bloods, Greek and Roman, a place where they can train in both Greek and Roman tactics, a place where they will learn to be brothers and sisters. The great feud has been resolved. This is my wish."

The Council clearly looked uncomfortable, as many of them had worried looks on their faces.

Athena and Poseidon looked towards each other, and understand passing between the two rivals. "I move we accept his plan," both said.

"The rift has been healed. With the return of the Athena Parthenos, our Greek and Roman selves have come to peace," Athena continued, "and the two sets of demigods have welcomed each other. And besides, Chiron's training methods combined with Lupa's sense of discipline will create a deadly enemy for those who wish to bother Olympus."

"All those in favor?" Zeus asked. All of the gods except for Hestia and Hades (who couldn't vote) and Dionysus raised their hands.

"This motion passes," Zeus announced, "11-1-0."

Jason bowed one last time to the gods and returned to his seat.

"Piper McLean, Daughter of Aphrodite," Hephaestus called.

"For your bravery, courage, leadership, and insistence in the Second Giantomachy, the Council offers you the gift of immortality," Hephaestus continued. "Should you choose to accept, you will become the eternal protector of demigods and serve as your mother's lieutenant. You are free to refuse and ask for something else."

Piper chose her words carefully and worked to make sure that no charmspeak seeped into her speech. For some odd reason, she didn't think the gods would be happy being spoken to as if their minds could be controlled. "Thank you, Stepfather. Thank you, Olympians. But I do not want immortality. My friends here have shown me that life is worth living. The most important thing that I have learned through my adventures this past year is that no matter what, there is a light at the end of the tunnel; it is just a matter of finding it."

The gods looked at her impassively, perhaps they had gotten used to demigods turning down immortality by this point.

"Instead, my Lords and Ladies, I ask for the following. I ask that a Council of Demigods be created to run the new camp that Jason had proposed. I ask that this Council be put in charge of running Fort Olympus, what I hope will be new name."

"All in favor?" Zeus called. "The motion passes 12-0-0."

"Thank you, Gods of Olympus," Piper whispered and returned to her seat.

"Thalia Grace, Daughter of Zeus, Lieutenant of Artemis," Demeter called.

Thalia kneeled before her aunt's throne after bowing to her father. "For your leadership and service to Olympus these past ten years, the Council sees fit to offer you the gift of immortality. Do you accept?"

Thalia looked towards her patron. "Thank you, Honorable gods and goddesses, but I must deny your offer. I only accepted Lady Artemis' offer three years ago so that I would not be the child of the First Great Prophecy. I did not trust myself; I knew that my cousin would make a much more honorable decision than I would. I was a coward and gave it up, but now, I wish to return to the world of mortals. My request is for Lady Artemis to relieve me of my duty so that I may peacefully rejoin the mortal world."

Artemis smiled sadly at her second-in-command. "I knew, sister, that your day to leave the Hunt was coming. I thank you of your service, but before you leave, I want to warn you that the one you love might end up breaking your heart. Are you okay with this?"

Murmurs broke out through the gardens of Olympus as people reacted with shock at the news. Thalia Grace, Daughter of Zeus, the most stoic person the world had ever known, had fallen in love? _What?!_ The girl in question merely steeled her gaze and nodded towards her patron.

"I am ready for what consequence may come, My Lady," Thalia said softly.

Artemis nodded and waved her hand. The tiara vanished from Thalia's brow, and she stopped glowing silver. The daughter of Zeus returned to her seat after bowing to the Council once again.

"Leo Valdez, Son of Hephaestus," Poseidon called wearily.

Leo bowed to King Zeus and knelt before Poseidon's throne.

"For your ingenuity and inexplicable courage, the Council of Olympus offers you one gift, the same as has been offered before to your brethren. You are free to refuse and name your own."

Leo smiled cautiously up at Lord Poseidon, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see it reflected the screen behind the gods. "Thank you, gods and goddesses. But that is not what I want. I want to be given permission to return to Ogygia and free Calypso. A year ago, you all promised to liberate her, and I want permission to follow up on that promise."

Poseidon nodded. "You shall have it. In two days' time, set sail from Camp Half-Blood on the _Argo II_ with Odysseus' astrolabe. It will lead you to your destination and back. Go with the blessing of the sea and the consent of the Council. However, Leo Valdez, remember that Calypso is immortal while you are not."

"I know, My Lord, but I have a promise to keep," Leo said before bowing and returning to his seat.

"Reyna Ramirez-Arellano," Aphrodite's voice ringed through the throne room.

With a perfect poker face, Reyna bowed to Zeus and then knelt before Aphrodite's throne.

"For your bravery and leadership in the last two wars as well as your unwavering loyalty to Mount Olympus and your people, the Council of Olympus offers you one gift, praetor, the same as has been offered before to your brethren. You are free to refuse and name your own."

Reyna was as unreadable as always.

"Lady Aphrodite," Reyna said, "I thank the Council for their generous offer, but I must refuse. My first loyalty is to my fellow demigods. When I became praetor of New Rome, I swore that I would protect them with my life, and I will continue to do so. My wish, though, is that I am left alone from now on from your realm, My Lady. You have caused me enough grief in the past. From now on, I want to be on my own and solely devote the rest of my life and attention to the men and women under my command, without any distractions."

Jason flinched at these words and even Piper looked saddened. No one should have to live without love just because they had a rough past with it.

Aphrodite smiled at the Roman praetor with sadness lacing her eyes. "My son and I have caused you much grief, Reyna," she said softly, "But yes. We will leave you alone. As a condolence for your past pain, know that your fate is not as hopeless as you think it is right now. You will find happiness in the end, and you will not have to lead by yourself anymore. Fort Olympus, the new home of all demigods, will be brought onto this Earth soon, and you will serve as a permanent member of the Council of Demigods leading it. You will no longer be on your own with hundreds of soldiers under your own command. You will have help from now on."

Reyna masked all of her emotions well, but the relief reflected in her eyes. She returned to her seat without a glance at any of her fellow demigods. Her message to her kin was clear: No questions right now.

"Hazel Levesque, Daughter of Pluto," Hermes intoned.

Hazel bowed to the king of the gods and then knelt before Hermes' throne.

"For your ingenuity and unwavering loyalty to your friends and Olympus in the last war, the Council offers you the gift of godhood, Hazel Levesque. As well as your brethren, you are free to refuse and name your own gift."

Hazel closed and reopened her eyes to focus herself. "My Lords and Ladies," she addressed the throne room, "your offer humbles me. However, I must refuse. I ask, in its stead, that the gods never again turn back on their children. We need you," she almost pleaded, "In our greatest times of need, we need your help."

The gods watched her sadly.

Hermes nodded. "So be it, Hazel Levesque. Your wish is that the gods never again ignore their children. We promised this once before, and we promise it again. But this time, it is a promise that will be kept."

"Thank you, My Lord," Hazel said. With a bow to the Council, she returned to her seat.

"Frank Zhang, Son of Mars," Apollo's voice resonated through the throne room.

Hazel gave Frank's hand a squeeze to which he gave her a grateful smile. He bowed to Zeus and knelt before Apollo's throne.

"For your courageous leadership and unwavering loyalty to those who needed you and to Olympus in the last war, the Council extends the same gift to you as has been offered to your friends. You are free to refuse and make your own."

Frank ignored the sigh that Apollo gave at the end. It seemed the gods really were tired of having their offers of immortality refused again and again.

"My Lord, I ask you to relieve my friends, Annabeth Chase and Perseus Jackson, from any and all future prophecies and quests they have lined up for them"

An audible gasp filled the room at this from the gods, and the screen showed Percy's and Annabeth's dumbfounded faces.

With a small laugh, Frank continued. "They have served Olympus together for almost ten years now. Between the two of them, they have faced and overcome horrors and challenges that the rest of us can only ever dream of. It is time they receive their peace. If anyone deserves it at this point, it is them."

After a long pause, Zeus responded with hesitation. "Frank Zhang, you do understand that the Fates themselves have woven their strings of life. There is little we can do if the Fates have managed it so."

"You and I both know that isn't true, Lord Zeus," Frank shot back. "If the Prophecy was to come true seven thousand years ago, you would not even be sitting on your throne right now."

Thunder rumbled outside, and the sky darkened as Zeus glared at the demigod bowing before his son.

"I hold you to your oath," Frank said with finality.

"Father," Artemis said, "let it be so. It is within our power. Let it happen. Jackson and Chase have saved Olympus numerous times and have even protected us from ourselves. Let them be."

Zeus glared one last time at Frank but otherwise nodded.

"The Council agrees to your wish, Son of Mars. So be it." Apollo decreed.

With a bow towards Zeus and the rest of the Council, Frank returned to his seat. As Annabeth turned to question him, he shook his head. "Later," he mouthed.

"Perseus Jackson, Son of Poseidon, Champion of Hera," the Queen of the Heavens herself called out.

"Uh… what?" Percy asked, flabbergasted, as he bowed to King Zeus and knelt before Queen Hera.

The Queen smiled wryly down at him as the screen showed his still shocked expression.

"Don't be too surprised, Son of Poseidon. Why do you think I have forgiven all of the infractions you have done and spoken in my name? When you were born, your mother prayed to me to protect you from my husband's wrath. I blessed you at birth, and she offered you as my Champion in exchange for a promise from me that I would protect you and forgive your blunders against me ten thousand times."

Hera's explanation caused Percy to flinch and the rest of the assembled demigods to wonder. Realization dawned on Percy's face as he finally understood where the warm glow that he remembered from his childhood and once thought was his father made sense to him. It hadn't been his father… It was Hera, coming to protect him for so long. The Queen of the Heavens herself had been watching over him all these years, and he hadn't known…

"After the last war, Perseus Jackson," Hera announced in her rich tone, "we rewarded you highly. You took the chance to teach us, the gods, new ways. You showed us what we should be, and more importantly, you reminded me what the true meaning of family is. I am the second goddess of family, and you reminded me what my realm is truly about. It isn't about the perfection of a mother, father, and children. It is about staying loyal even when it seems like there is no point. It is about trust, and it is about feeling like you have people you can count on."

Percy's face reddened slightly as Hera continued her speech.

"Ever since the twelfth seat on the Olympian Council had taken its current form," Hera continued, "my power has been weakened as my family lost itself. But you, Perseus Jackson, through your unquestionable loyalty to _your_ family have reminded me why _I_ exist, and why I am still needed. But more than that, for the past six years, you have worked to protect Olympus from its enemies. We already promised that you and your beloved shall be free from any horrible fates that might come by your way in the future. Now I offer you again the gift that you were offered a year ago. A year ago, you refused our generous offer, and I have a feeling you will refuse again. Perseus Jackson, for you bravery, loyalty, brilliant strategy, courage, and love to your family and those around you in this past war against the giants and Mother Earth, the Council of Olympus sees fit to offer you once again the gift of immortality. Do you accept this time?"

Hera looked pointedly at her Champion who was looking back at his fellow demigods in sadness. Percy's eyes landed on Annabeth's, and the two beloveds came to a silent agreement. Percy remembered the wisdom a god gave him a few months ago. _Life is only precious because it ends, kid_. He knew his answer once again. _Some things never change._

"Queen Hera, Council of Olympus, I am honored, but no. I still have a life left to live and a family to serve and bring up." Annabeth's face flushed and even Percy was feeling a little red in the face. The rest of the demigods laughed at this. "Instead, My Lords and Ladies," Percy continued, "I ask that Lord Hades and Lady Hestia be renamed to the Council."

The gods looked at him in shock.

"You ask to expand the Council, Perseus Jackson?" Zeus asked, perplexed.

"Yes, King Zeus. After the war last year, I had said that Lord Hades and his children deserved acceptance here on Olympus and on Earth. Unfortunately, I failed to follow through on my promise." Percy gave an apologetic look to Nico who just continued looking at the son of Poseidon with a blank stare. "I had turned my back on one of my friends, and I had ignored the loyalty of the Lord of the Dead. In both of the last two wars, Olympus would have lost were it not for Lord Hades' support and protection. Whatever problems you gods might have had in the past with him, I ask that you put them aside and allow him back on the Council. He has more than earned his right to share in on the most important decisions."

Hades raised his eyebrow while the rest of the gods continued to look at Percy as though he had grown an extra head.

"Lady Hera just mentioned that her role as the second goddess of the family has been weakened ever since Lord Dionysus was made a member of the Council," Percy continued. "It has taken all of my Patron Queen Hera's power to keep this family together ever since the first goddess of the family, Lady Hestia, exited the Council. The two goddesses complement each other, and together, they keep this family together. They have done so for the past ten thousand years, and if we want to stay together for another ten thousand, Lady Hestia's voice must return to the Council. Lady Hestia is the oldest of all of us. She has raised and watched over all of us in some way. She deserves the recognition she might get now. It is her turn. That is my wish, Queen Hera. I wish that you ask your siblings to return to the Council of Olympus."

Hera exchanged a glance with Zeus. Turning back to Percy, she nodded. With a wave of her hand, the throne room magically expanded, and the temporary thrones that Hestia and Hades were sitting on became permanent. "It is done. It is time that my family came back together. Thank you, Perseus." Hera smiled at him.

Percy surprised himself and his fellow demigods by smiling back at the Queen. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all, once he got past the millennia of bitterness of being married to a cheating husband. With a bow to each of the fourteen assembled gods in turn, he returned to his seat and grasped Annabeth's hand.

"Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena," Artemis called.

Percy gave her hand a comforting squeeze before she got up and bowed to Zeus and knelt before Artemis' throne.

"As the Chief Strategist of Camp Half-Blood, you have proven yourself powerful, brave, cunning, resourceful, and tactful. You have used your wit beyond measure to lead your fellow demigods into battle, and you have worked with leaders around the world to make sure that they survived. For your loyalty in the Second Giantomachy, Annabeth Chase, the Council of Olympus sees fit to offer you the gift of immortality, the same as has been offered to your brethren. You are free to refuse and ask your own."

A small smile graced Annabeth's face at this, remembering a similar choice Artemis had given her three years ago.

"Lady Artemis, My Lords and Ladies," Annabeth began, "Thank you. I am honored, and words cannot describe my gratitude. But I do not want immortality. I want to live out my life and face the justice of this world and the next as it were. I ask that I be able to name my gift later. I don't know what I want right now, but when I know, I will let it be known."

Artemis raised her eyebrow but nodded. "Very well, Daughter of Wisdom. When you are ready, speak your mind."

Annabeth bowed to the Council and returned to her seat.

"Are you sure?" Percy murmured in her ear.

"Yeah," Annabeth responded quietly. "I have a feeling I'll need this."

Percy gave her a quizzical look but turned back, just in time.

"Nico di Angelo, Son to Hades and Pluto, Champion of Hestia, Prince of the Underworld, Heir to the Sacred Hearth, King of Ghosts, Master of Shadows, Protector of Camp Jupiter, Patron of Camp Half-Blood." Athena announced.

Percy's jaw dropped as Athena finished saying all of Nico's titles. Nico flinched as the goddess went through the list, though, and kept his head down. The rest of the demigods watched, dumbstruck, and Nico bowed to Zeus and knelt before Athena.

"My Lady," he said, "You summoned me."

"Don't be so shocked, heroes, of your companion's honors. He keeps many secrets, and there's little you all know about him."

The nine other demigods in the throne room just watched Nico in confusion at Athena's shrewd remark.

As Percy watched, the ground around Nico grow blacker, and he started to slowly realize what a truly dangerous enemy this fourteen-year-old demigod was. Jason had once told him that he feared Nico's power, and he had laughed at the Son of Jupiter. But now, watching Nico's aura literally bend the earth around him to his will, Percy started to question his past judgment.

"Nico di Angelo, you have done well these past few years."

Just as Athena said this, Percy saw tears begin to fall from Nico's eyes. He scowled at this. The kid had faced a hard enough life as it was.

"In the Titan war last year, you convinced your father to join the battle to save Olympus. Without the armies of Hades, we would have inevitably lost. You used your wit beyond measure to develop the one strategy that would help Perseus Jackson defeat Luke Castellan. In the Battle of Manhattan, after the leaders of Camp Half-Blood and their Chief Strategist, my daughter, ascended Olympus, you took over the leadership in the power vacuum. You became a brilliant tactician and used battle strategies that impressed even me to turn the defensive battle into an offensive maneuver. Under your leadership, in the absence of my daughter and Jackson, you coordinated the defense of the Empire State Building and led the armies of Hades and Camp Half-Blood in successful advances to defeat what remained of the armies of Kronos. After the Second Titanomachy, the gods did not reward you as we did all the other major players in the war. We apologize."

Percy and Annabeth's eyes widened as they heard this. They had completely forgotten who had led their friends on the streets of New York after Kornos had blocked off them from the world on Mount Olympus.

"But your loyalty to Olympus and sheer ingenuity did not end there. After the war last year, we, as the Council of Olympus, asked you to become Patron of Camp Half-Blood and Protector of Camp Jupiter, to watch over our children after Father Zeus decreed that Olympus would be closed. You did your job well."

Nico finally looked up at Athena, with an inkling of hope reflecting in his eyes and his tear-stained cheeks glinting in the light of the throne room. The goddess of wisdom smiled down at him.

"Yes, Nico di Angelo, you have done well. Under your patronage and protection, fewer monsters attacked demigods travelling to both camps. You used your tactical knowledge to keep them away as much as you could. You did the job we assigned to you perfectly. We Olympians thank you for the protection you offered our children when we could not."

Nico's cheeks tinged pink at Athena's high praise. The other demigods looked at their companion in wonder and appreciation. So _he_ was the reason they were able to train for the war without too much struggle…

"This past year, you spent two weeks alone in Tartarus. You lost your life for another week in the death trance. You led the Seven of the Prophecy to the House of Hades. You conquered the South Wind and the West Wind. You conquered the God of Love, you brought the two camps together, and you healed the rift between the gods' Greek and Roman forms."

At this, all the gods in the room except for Athena changed into their Roman forms. Athena's white chiton looked out of place in the sea of golden togas.

"You assisted in the return of the Athena Parthenos to its rightful place among the Greeks, as the symbol of their military power. When you returned, the Greek and Roman demigods were already engaged in battle. The Greeks lacked leadership, but you once again took over the forces of Camp Half-Blood and helped coordinate their offensive maneuvers in their time of need. Once again, you turned a Greek army fighting a defensive war into an offensive nightmare for their enemies. Your tactics and strategies surprised even my children, and even as the Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy, they surprised and impressed even me. But your wisdom impressed me even more. You understood that he Greeks and Romans could not keep fighting."

Percy squeezed Annabeth's hand as he noticed her annoyed expression at her mother's high praise for the Son of Hades.

"After Reyna convinced the two camps to stop fighting and showed that the civil wars had finished, you reminded the Greeks of who I truly am: _Athena Parthenos_ and _Athena Promachos, _Athena the Virgin and Athena the First and Last Warrior in Battle. Then you turned to the Romans. You gave them a lesson in their own history. You reminded them who Bellona truly is. She is not a 'purely Roman' goddess as they like to put it. You showed them that she is only the Roman form of the Greek goddess of _raw_ warfare Enyo, counterpart to Ares, and thus Mars, in Rome. You reminded the Romans of the true reason why they won in the First Punic War. Due to my rivalry with Poseidon and Neptune, I had given them the wisdom to invent the corvus, turning their feared naval wars into a land war at sea. You reminded the Romans of who I truly am as a Roman goddess."

Athena here finally changed into her Roman form.

Annabeth gasped at seeing her mother in Roman armor. This was not how she had seen Minerva before.

Minerva was dressed in the purple robes of a Roman emperor and donned in golden armor with a tawny owl on her shoulder, the Aegis opened on her wrist, a twenty-foot golden spear in her hand, a bow and quiver on her back, and a seven-foot long sword sheathed at her waist. Her eyes reflected the deadly calculation of a strategist who had never lost a battle.

A long time ago, Percy had noted that Athena would make the worst enemy, but now, he realized that Minerva would make an even more dangerous enemy.

Reyna, Jason, Frank, Hazel, and all the other Romans on Olympus stood and bowed as Minerva stood up in her full glory and deadly beauty to stand next to Nico. She faced the Romans. The other gods and goddesses held their right hands up in the Roman salute in respect to the War Goddess.

"Rise Nico di Angelo," Minerva said in a richer and more resonant tone than even Athena had spoken.

Nico stood and faced the goddess, a small smile on his face and admiration in his eyes.

Minerva turned to him with a stony expression, but just the slightest hint of pride touched her eyes.

"Nico di Angelo, you reminded the Romans of who I truly am and destroyed their misconceptions."

The goddess turned to the bowing Romans and glared with the heat of a thousand suns.

"You reminded them that they feared me as Athena because I had protected Greece from their attacks for a thousand years and that I had sided with the Greeks in the Trojan War to defeat their ancestors. But then, you reminded them of my truest Roman forms. I am _Minerva Armipotens, Minerva Bellipotens_, _Minerva Panteuchia, Minerva Tritonia, and Minerva Virago_: Minerva, Destroyer of Enemies; Minerva, Powerful in War; Minerva, of All Destructive Weapons; Minerva, the Third Queen; and Minerva, the Supreme Virgin."

Percy watched in satisfaction as Octavian cowered under Minerva's aura of power and her sheer fury. The goddess pointed her spear at the sky and zapped it with a bolt of lightning. The gods watched her with impassiveness, and was Percy dreaming, or was that a hint of pride in Jupiter's, Juno's, and Neptune's eyes?

Bellona appeared next to Minerva and kneeled before the golden-clad goddess as well.

Minerva gave her an approving nod before turning back to Nico.

"Nico di Angelo, you reminded the Romans that I am not a mere goddess of craftsmanship and that Bellona was not the sole Roman goddess of war. You reminded the Romans of my role as a member of the Capitoline Triad, the three most important war gods and patrons of Eternal Rome: Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. You reminded the Romans that before every battle, they would sacrifice to me to give them the wisdom and strength needed to win their upcoming fight. You reminded them that without my support, they would have never defeated Corinth and that they would have never reached their greatest extent under Emperor Trajan."

Minerva turned to the bowing Romans and gave one short, clipped command with all the authority of the most powerful and best generals and admirals and the most feared emperors: "_Adorior_, Romans. _Rise_ before your Third Queen of Eternal Rome."

The Romans stood in unison before the War Goddess.

Minerva watched with the cold glare of a strategist about to defeat her worst enemies. Then, she turned back to the Son of Pluto.

"Thank you, Nico di Angelo, for healing me, for bringing both my Greek and Roman forms together as one. Thank you, Nico di Angelo, for helping avenge the wrong of Rome against Greece, bringing the two great powers together. Thank you, Nico di Angelo, for showing the gods their true nature as well as their followers. After reminding the Romans of who I am, you united the two camps and immediately set for Marathon to join your fellow demigods and the gods in the battle against the Earth Mother. On the battlefield, you organized the demigod armies into a killing machine with your superb tactics and defeated legions upon legions of monsters. With your extensive knowledge of both Greek and Roman strategies, you combined the two to create an arc of terror out of the two Camps. You made the Olympians an army that not even Odysseus was able to command successfully."

Minerva returned to her throne and zapped Bellona away by pointing her spear.

"I mentioned before, Nico di Angelo, that the gods had not gifted you after the Second Titanomachy. We intend to fix that now. You are the only demigod in history who was born to both a Greek and Roman godly parent. When Maria di Angelo met your father for the second time, he appeared as both Hades and Pluto. You are extremely powerful, and you have used this to support us in our fights for survival and have used this to protect our children. For your loyalty, support, ingenuity, leadership, tactfulness, strategy, protection of our children, and honor in the Second Titanomachy and the Second Giantomachy, the Council of Olympus offers you two gifts, one which you shall choose and one which we shall offer to your acceptance. And I personally, for your service to me as _Minerva Bellipotens_ and_ Athena Promachos_, offer you a third gift."

Minerva changed back to her Greek form as Athena, and the other gods and goddesses did the same.

"We will do this in order, Nico di Angelo. First, you are to request your wish, and then I will offer the Council's and mine." Athena's voice was much calmer and more soothing that Minerva's had been.

Nico nodded and truly grinned for the first time since he had learned that his sister had died four years ago.

"My Lady," Nico began, "It has been four thousand years since the Council of Olympus has been imbalanced. This has caused numerous problems, and it needs to be addressed now. After today, the Council will be fourteen, with an 8-to-6 ratio."

Athena raised her eyebrow. "And how would the Council be balanced, Nico di Angelo?"

Nico answered with a new confidence that no one had ever seen from him before. He adopted the look of a strategist about to plan his next attack and of a leader about to calm his soldiers. "Lady Athena, my wish is for the Council of Olympus to be rebalanced _and_ restructured. First, the King and Queen of the Sky sit on the Council of Olympus. However, only the King of the Sea and the King of the Underworld serve on here. In order to balance the Council and create the 8-to-8 ratio needed, I propose that the Queen of the Sea and the Queen of the Underworld join their husbands on the Council, just as the King and Queen of the Sky serve. As for restructuring the Council, I point to the fact that five years ago, we lost two years of war preparations and almost lost another year because the full Council only meets once a year, on the Winter Solstice. This proved to be a strategic weakness in both wars, and it was further enhanced when Olympus was closed down prior to this war as the Council was unable to outvote King Zeus to reopen it. In order to prevent such a failing from ever happening again, I propose that the full Council of Olympus meet three additional times a year to the Winter Solstice. The gods have traditionally met on the Winter Solstice so as to increase their power. However, I suggest to the Council of Olympus that they should meet at both Equinoxes and the Summer Solstice as well, so that problems can be addressed as quickly as possible."

Athena almost smiled. "You are wise beyond your years, young one. Perhaps it is time you accepted your true age and knowledge."

With a wave of Athena's hand, Nico began to grow in front of everyone. He increased from a 5'6" fourteen-year-old to a 6'3" sixteen-year-old. The other demigods gaped at him. With the change came a more powerful aura and a stronger Nico di Angelo. The dark aura around him became even more dominant, and for the first time, his broad shoulders and lean frame became clear to everyone.

Athena nodded, satisfied. "You now reflect your true wisdom and knowledge, Prince of the Underworld. The Council will vote to approve your suggestion."

"All in favor of expanding the Council of Olympus to sixteen members with the addition of Hades, Hestia, Persephone, and Amphitrite and in meeting at all Solstices and Equinoxes?" Zeus called.

All twelve voting members' hands rose.

"This motion passes 12-0-0," Zeus decreed.

Athena nodded to her father and turned back to Nico.

"Now, it is our turn. I first offer you my personal gift, Nico di Angelo, Champion of Hestia. I offer you my patronage. Your wit, wisdom, and strategic mind have impressed me many times over. As my Champion, you will have all the honors of my own children, and you will become the leader you were always meant to be. The only thing I ask of you in return is that you foreswear romantic love, the realm of Aphrodite."

Nico raised his eyebrows, and an inkling of hope edged its way into his eyes. "Will you protect me from Aphrodite's realm, My Lady?" he asked.

Athena nodded. "You will take a vow of chastity, same as I have, and I will become your eternal Patron."

Jason interrupted frantically, "Nico, you can't!"

"_Silence_, Son of Jupiter," Athena ordered with a glare, "It is his choice. Let him do as he wishes."

Jason ignored Athena and addressed Nico in front of everyone. "Nico, I know it might seem hopeless now, but you're young. Remember that. You still have your whole life ahead of you. You still have a chance at winning happiness. Please, just give it a chance," he finished with a begging tone in his voice.

Athena glared at him but did not say anything. This was Nico's battle.

Nico turned and looked at each of the nine other demigods in turn. Most looked shocked that Jason would have the courage to give such an outburst in front of the Olympian Council. Thalia and Reyna had expressionless faces; Piper and Annabeth had thoughtful expressions as they tried to reason through the rationale.

"It is my life, Jason," Nico said coldly, "It is my choice, it is my future."

Jason looked sadly at Nico but stood down. Nico turned back to Athena.

"My Lady, will you protect me from ever being influenced by Aphrodite's realm again?"

Athena nodded. "I will make it so that you will be free from all romantic attachments, including any you had in the past and might currently have."

Nico looked up at his goddess. "What is my fate, Lady Athena?"

"We do not know," the goddess responded. "As you ponder my personal offer, I will reveal the Council's offer. We offer you godhood, Nico di Angelo, for your service to Olympus and our children these past few years. Should you choose to accept, you will become my lieutenant as the High General of the Olympian Armed Forces and serve as the Patron of all Demigods. You will be the god of Fort Olympus, and you will answer to me as the Field Marshall of the Olympian Armed Forces. You will become a minor god of battle strategy as well as a minor god of the Underworld."

Nico's eyes widened in shock at the magnitude of what he was being offered.

"As to your fate, we do not know. The Moirai are here to speak to you." Athena said as the three old women flashed to the throne room.

The middle Spinner said, "Nico di Angelo, we have not woven your thread of life. We are waiting to see what you say to the choices offered to you today. We will finish weaving your strings based upon those choices. Good luck."

With that, the Spinners flashed out, leaving a room of dumbfounded gods and demigods.

Nico said softly, "So whatever I say, it is purely my own choice. No one else has a stake in this?"

Athena nodded. "It is yours and yours only, demigod. Choose wisely."

Nico turned to look at the nine demigods behind him, the closest he had to friends. Jason continued to plead with his eyes, but the rest of them only looked shocked at Nico's situation.

"I accept your patronage, My Lady," Nico said, turning back to Athena, "but I want to wait on the offer of immortality. I will come back to the Council in some time."

Athena smiled sadly at him. "So be it, Nico di Angelo. For all your service, this is the least we can do. For my patronage, repeat the following: I swear my life to the legacy of Athena and Minerva, and I take this vow of chastity to never look upon Love again and accept the goddess' protection from Love."

Nico repeated the words, and the tawny owl on Athena's shoulder circled him once and returned to his perch.

"Rise, Nico di Angelo," Zeus pronounced solemnly, "Son to Hades and Pluto, Champion of Hestia, Champion of Athena and Minerva, Prince of the Underworld, Heir to the Sacred Hearth, High General of the Olympian Armed Forces, Lieutenant of Athena, King of Ghosts, Master of Shadows, Protector of Camp Jupiter, Patron of Camp Half-Blood, Patron of Fort Olympus, Permanent Member of the Council of Demigods, Sponsor of Demigods, Hero of Olympus, and God-to-be."

All of Olympus erupted into applause as the sixteen-year-old god rose from his kneeling position and took his new mantles.

"Prince of the Underworld," Zeus continued, "You will continue through life. Your fate is now in your own hands. Good luck."

Nico nodded to Zeus, and bowing to all the gods assembled, he returned to his seat, ignoring the looks of envy and shock from the other demigods assembled and the one of pain and pity from Jason.

"We have gifted you ten individually," Zeus said, "as we had promised. Now, we will gift you collectively. For your loyalty to all demigods these past years, we have decided that you will all be permanent members of the Council of Demigods, which will rule over Fort Olympus, the new home of all demigods. Nico di Angelo will serve as the regent and voice of the Council of Olympus, as he is supposed to become the God of Demigods. None of you will lead alone anymore."

Hera waved her hand, and the throne room expanded again. Two more thrones appeared on her side, and Persephone and Amphitrite took their seats on the Council.

"And now," Zeus announced in pain, "We must turn to the infraction upon the Laws by none other than my wife, Queen Hera. The Laws decree that any who go against them will be sentenced to ten years' banishment from Olympus to Tartarus . What do you have to say for yourself, Queen Hera?"

Hera looked at her husband with all the regality worthy of the Queen of the Heavens and responded with no emotion in her voice. "A century ago, My Lord, I was given a prophecy that said I would face a choice: Whether to be ostracized for the actions I would take to save Olympus or to let Olympus fall and let my family live on divided. I took the risk. I will take the punishment as seen fit by the law."

Zeus' pain was evident. Maybe he was a cheater, but in the end, he still loved his wife after all the millennia they had lived together.

"No!" Annabeth yelled. "I'm sorry for speaking out of turn, Lord Zeus, but I believe my gift from the Council still needs to used. My wish is for Queen Hera to be given amnesty. She did what was right. She took action to make sure that our family would be preserved for another eon."

Zeus and the Council looked at her incredulously, and Hera's face was filled with open shock. This girl had openly defamed the Goddess of Marriage many times but was now defending her.

"Queen Hera," Annabeth looked at the Queen, "I apologize for my past infractions against you. You did what you had to do. You protected our family through the struggles of life."

She turned to Zeus and the Council at large. "Queen Hera might have broken the law, but as leaders, we are all taught that sometimes the most honorable and best actions are those that are illicit. Lady Hera did her duty to Olympus and her family. For that, I ask that she be given amnesty for breaking the law."

Zeus nodded slowly. "We agreed to gift each one of you, and Annabeth Chase is using hers now. All in favor?"

All of the Council raised their hands save Hera.

"Queen Hera, you are given amnesty." Zeus said with a hint of relief in his voice.

Hera looked at him coldly for a minute before turning towards the demigods. "Thank you for your service, young heroes. Annabeth Chase, you are to design the layout of Fort Olympus. I will meet with you separately to work through the details later. Now all of you, return to Camp Half-Blood."

With a wave of Queen Hera's hand, all of the 500 assembled Greek and Roman demigods vanished from Olympus and landed in the green of Camp Half-Blood.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Let me know what you guys think! This is actually my very first _Percy Jackson and the Olympians/The Heroes of Olympus_ fanfiction, so I'm extremely nervous to hear your feedback. Please leave a review and thanks for reading! :)


	2. Chapter 2: Understanding

**Author's Note**: This chapter is ridiculously long, but I'm really happy with what I managed to explore. There's a lot of character development in this chapter, so it's a bit of a filler. But I'm happy with how it turned out. The more I write, the clearer my idea is about where I want this story to go. It will start picking up soon, I promise. As always, please read and review guys! :D

**Disclaimer: **_Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ and _The Heroes of Olympians_ and all things related are property of Rick Riordan and Disney Hyperion. I am not making any profit off of this work in any way, shape, or form.

Fort Olympus

* * *

**Chapter 2: Understanding**

* * *

"How many demigods do we need to be prepared for?" Annabeth asked Nico.

It was the day after they had gotten their gifts, and Nico and she had met in the Big House to work on the plans for Fort Olympus. The gods had left it pretty open-ended for the demigods to design, so they had gotten Nico, Percy, Reyna, and Dakota to help come up with ideas for Annabeth to design.

Nico raised an eyebrow at her question. "How am I supposed to know?"

"You're supposed to become the god of demigods." Annabeth shot back with amusement in her eyes.

Nico rolled his eyes and concentrated. The gods had not made him immortal, yet, but he did have some powers that reflected his future realms.

"There are about 1,000 Greek and Roman demigods around the world, including those we have here right now," he said after a minute.

Annabeth nodded. "Let's say we have roughly fifty or so demigods in each cabin/barracks. That would mean, what? 20 cabins? Yeah."

Annabeth took that note down. "And I'll add five more just to be safe. Chiron, Lupa, have there even been more than this many demigods before?"

"No," Lupa answered stiffly. "In all my years in service to Olympus training heroes, I can't remember more than that many existing at one given time." Thankfully, the wolf goddess had taken human form.

"I'm the same," Chiron agreed.

Annabeth nodded again, taking more notes. "Okay, so that means we'll have to build 25 cabins, a mess hall for 1500 people, an amphitheater, a Coliseum, and leave an extra five acres for everything else. Does anyone know where we're going to build this place?"

The others shrugged, and Annabeth groaned in frustration.

"I do," said a voice at the doorway. Hera walked in and took a seat between Chiron and Lupa.

Percy and Annabeth still had mixed feelings about the goddess, but after their meeting on Olympus, they had agreed to set things aside.

Hera smiled wryly at the leaders of the Greek demigods. "You both still judge against me."

"Well do you expect us to be lovey-dovey to you after all you put us through?" Annabeth asked.

"Annabeth!" Chiron warned.

Hera waved Chiron's comment away. "Her anger at me is not misdirected, brother." Hera turned to Annabeth with a sad smile. "I did what I had to do to protect my family, dear. Surely, after all your recent journeys, you understand the ways of the Fates. Everything has its right time, Annabeth, and you of all people know that I couldn't do anything out of order. That is not the way of the world."

Annabeth looked back at the goddess with uncertainty but nodded. "Yeah, I understand. I'm sorry for speaking out of turn," she said grudgingly.

"You saved me from the wrath of the gods. It is I who should be thanking you."

Hera and Annabeth nodded at each other. Maybe they had no love for each other, yet, but an understanding passed between them to cooperate.

"Now," Hera said, "the gods have two ideas for possible locations of Fort Olympus. But I would like to hear your thoughts first."

"Queen Jun-er, Hera," Reyna interrupted.

"Yes, praetor?"

"What will happen to New Rome? The citizens live under the protection of the legion. If the legion moves, what will happen to the city?"

"That's another thing I'm here to discuss. The gods suggest that a new city be built near Fort Olympus with all of the amenities of New Rome, only for _all_ Greco-Roman demigods. However, it is up to the Senate of Rome to decide whether they wish to move or not."

Reyna rose. "I will convene the Senate immediately."

Hera nodded. She turned to the Greek demigods. "You might want to assemble the War Council, too. There are some decisions to be made regarding your future. Let's in the amphitheater in an hour. I'll work with Annabeth on the plans in the meantime."

Percy nodded at his Patron and left to assemble the Senior Councilors of Camp Half-Blood with Nico and Dakota following him.

"Let's see your plans."

Annabeth opened the scroll of paper on the table. "I haven't been able to do much since I don't know the location. Right now, I just have the cabins placed, temples designed, and a few acres left for training facilities."

Hera observed the designs impassively. "Right now, we're thinking of either tearing down everything at Camp Half-Blood and buying extra land or buying new real estate in Virginia."

"What did the gods decide?"

"Nothing. We decided to leave it up to the two camps. But if the Senate chooses to relocate New Rome to Fort Olympus, your mother suggested that we should have the fort in the New York area to offer our protection as much as we can."

Annabeth thought about this. "How much land will we have?"

"5,000 acres if the city is moving and 2,500 if not."

Annabeth nodded. "I don't know how the Senate and Senior Council will vote, but this helps a lot, Queen Hera. Thanks." She gave a grudging smile to the Queen of the Heavens at this.

Hera smiled back and nodded. "Let's get to the amphitheater. I think the Senate and Council should be assembled now."

* * *

The Roman Senate had taken their seats on one side of the amphitheater with the Greek Senior Council on the other. There were twelve chairs at the stage for the ten leading demigods, Lupa, and Hera.

Reyna was addressing the Senate as Hera and Annabeth took their seats.

"Senators, the Twelfth Legion Fulminata is to be relocated."

There were protests, but Frank stood up and talked over them. "It is the will of the gods," he declared. "The Queen of Olympus herself is here to vouch for this. Does the legacy of Rome wish to go against the gods?" He challenged.

The Senators grumbled among themselves but didn't respond.

Reyna continued. "All Greek and Roman demigods are to be united at a new safe haven, Fort Olympus, with the Council of Demigods leading it. The Council will have twelve permanent voting members, the ten you see before you and the Augur of Apollo and the Oracle of Delphi, both of whom will be nonvoting advisees. The constituents of Fort Olympus will elect an additional ten voting members every year, five Greek and five Roman, the day before the Summer Solstice. For any action to be passed in Council, it will require the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the whole council as well as a simple majority of the permanent members. This you know already. What I am before you to discuss is the fate of New Rome."

"It is the Twelfth Legion's duty," Frank took over, "to protect the citizens of New Rome. When the Twelfth Legion is absorbed into Fort Olympus, this duty will be passed onto Fort Olympus. However, it might not be possible to fulfill this duty if the fort is not near the city."

"Because of this," Reyna finished, "the three praetors, under the direction of the Olympian Council, suggest that New Rome be relocated from San Francisco to the Fort Olympus. However, for this to be be done, it requires the approval of the Senate."

"Will the new city have everything that New Rome does?" Larry asked.

"Yes," Percy, the third and last praetor, said. "The new city will have all of the amenities and protection of New Rome. The only differences will be the location and that all demigods will be welcomed."

"And Fort Olympus promises to protect it?" Octavian asked with fire in his eyes and venom in his voice.

"Yes," Thalia said smoothly. "The Council of Demigods has agreed that we, as Fort Olympus, will take over the duty of the Twelfth Legion and offer the protection to the citizens and legacies of Rome, and eventually Greece as well."

Octavian opened his mouth to speak again, but Thalia continued, "It was a unanimous vote of 10-0-0," she finished, daring him to challenge her.

After a minute of silence, Reyna asked, "Are there any more questions or objections, Senators?"

No one spoke up.

"Then let a vote be called. Queen Hera, please arbiter this election."

Hera nodded. Percy, Reyna, Frank, Hazel, Nico, and Jason took their seats in the amphitheater.

"All in favor?" Hera called.

Nine hands rose out of the fifteen.

Hera nodded. "It passes. The city of New Rome will be relocated to be better protected by Fort Olympus."

Annabeth rose then and faced the Senior Council. "Counselors, you are called here today because we are working on the layout of Fort Olympus. Right now, there are two suggestions for the location, one is in Virginia overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, and the other is right here, at Camp Half-Blood, close to Mount Olympus."

A gasp came from the counselors at this, but Annabeth continued as if she had heard nothing.

"We will, of course, need the consent of the Roman Senate and the Council of Demigods before we choose either, but the gods want to know how the demigods of Camp Half-Blood feel about having their home transformed."

"Annabeth," Connor asked slowly, "Uh, I don't mean to be rude, but how would we even fit all that here?" He asked in confusion. "We hardly have enough place for everyone as it is."

Annabeth nodded, "The gods will be expanding Camp Half-Blood to 5,000 acres to fit everyone. One of the advantages of staying here is that we already have most of the demigod quarters, er, cabins, built. We can just expand the existing ones and add just a few more, and we'll be done. Another advantage is that we have most of the training facilities here as well as most of the infrastructure. All we would need is to add a full harbor on the lake, a field for war games, the temples, create a Council house, and design the city. If we use our existing facilities with just moving some things around to accommodate everything else, Fort Olympus will be up and running within the next few weeks. If we have to start from scratch _and_ transport everyone to the new location, it could take months."

"Show us the designs," Clarisse ordered. Like most of the oldest and consistent campers, she didn't like hearing that the gods were planning to redo their home. But she wasn't completely against the idea, either.

Annabeth put up the design that she had finished while the Senate was deliberating.

The designs showed a full harbor and naval yard in the lake, some of the cabins realigned and new ones added, a city behind the Big House extending into the hill, a large empty field for war games, and four large temples on Half-Blood Hill. An extra building was next to the Big House; this was obviously the Council House with its grand architecture.

"Satisfied?" Annabeth smirked at her friends' awestruck faces.

"Annabeth, it's magnificent," Percy exclaimed, grinning.

Annabeth smiled at her boyfriend's enthusiasm. "So are we, as Camp Half-Blood," she continued addressed the Senior Counselors, "willing to accept this, or are we going to move to Virginia, beyond the protection of the gods?"

A murmur passed through the Greek demigods, but it seemed that they all were okay with the idea on some level.

"Are we ready to vote?" Annabeth asked.

"Yes," Leo called in exasperation. "Let's get on with it already. How can you all stand this slowness with your ADHD? I'm dying over here."

There were a few snorts around the arena at Leo's outburst along with a lot of laughing.

Annabeth rolled her eyes with a smile before turning to Reyna at the head table. "Could you arbiter the vote?"

Reyna looked surprised but nodded with an almost preleased look.

Annabeth, Piper, Leo, and Thalia took their seats, and Nico, Jason, and Percy joined them from the Roman side.

"All in favor of having Fort Olympus be based at Camp Half-Blood," Reyna called.

Sixteen of the twenty-one Senior Counselors raised their hands as well as Chiron.

Reyna nodded. "It passes."

Annabeth came up again and addressed the Senate. "Does the Senate of Rome agree to this, or do they object?"

"How does the Council of Demigods vote?" Dakota asked.

Nico and Annabeth glanced at each other.

"We've not actually voted on this," Nico began. "We wanted to get the views of the two camps before we voted."

"All in favor of locating Fort Olympus and New Rome out of Camp Half-Blood?" Hera addressed the Senate.

All but four of the Senators' hands went up.

"It is passed," the Queen said with finality. "It is time for the Council of Demigods to vote and show their assent or dissent."

The ten necessary demigods came forward and sat at their seats on the head table.

"What is your decision, Council?" Chiron asked. Lupa and Hera just watched quietly.

"All in favor?" Frank asked his brethren. All ten demigods raised their hands. "It is done," Frank addressed everyone present. "Fort Olympus will be based in Camp Half-Blood with the support of both the existing Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood."

"All that's left," Hera said, "Is to determine what your trainers wish. Obviously, they will no longer be teaching separately. Have you two come up with a plan?"

Chiron and Lupa nodded to each other before the she-wolf spoke, "We have, Queen Juno. We ask all of the gods to send their demigods to Fort Olympus to Fort Olympus by the summer after their seventh birthday at the latest. Once we get them, the Greek and Roman demigods will be separated."

Chiron took over when Lupa looked at him to continue. "For the first three years, the demigods will be trained by their natural teacher, Greek or Roman, myself or Lupa, in their natural ways. After that, they will be transferred to the other of us for two years to master the differing methods. After these five years, they will be prepared to become full members of the Fort Olympus, at which time we will hand over their custody to the Council of Demigods."

Hera listened impassively.

"However," Lupa continued in a warning tone, "We will not be able to train our students and the future heroes if the gods do not send them to us before they turn eight. It will be impossible for us to train them in the ways of survival."

Hera gave a wry smile. "It will be done. I assure it."

Lupa and Chiron looked a look of disbelief, which she chose to ignore.

"Where will you train them?" the Queen asked.

"Right here at Camp Half-Blood/Fort Olympus," Lupa answered smoothly. "Until the students are able to become full members of Fort Olympus, we will keep them with us. To facilitate this, we ask Annabeth to design two separate, distinct areas for us to train on opposing sides of the fort. The demigods will spend their first five years with us, learning the ways of both Rome and Greece in these secluded sections, and then they will merge back into Fort Olympus."

"You're creating a school within a school," Hera pondered. "Can you do that, Annabeth?"

Annabeth looked at Hera with a quizzical look, as if to say _Of course I can!_ and returned to the design plans, frantically drawing.

"Then so be it," Hera proclaimed. "In two days' time, after the Council of Olympus approves the designs and proposals I have heard today, Fort Olympus and New Rome will come onto this Earth as it has been designed and supported."

The Queen of Olympus flashed away after this. The Senate and Senior Council quickly disbanded after this, leaving only the ten of the Council of Demigods (Reyna, Frank, Hazel, Jason, Nico, Percy, Annabeth, Piper, Leo, and Thalia), Rachel the Oracle, Octavian the Augur, and their teachers Chiron and Lupa behind.

"Now what?" Thalia asked.

"Now," Nico said with a smirk, "we plan for the friendly war games and Capture the Flag match between the Greek and Roman demigods."

"Done," Lupa said with a smirk of her own. At the surprised look on the demigods' faces, she explained, "Chiron and I figured that it would be unfair if the players themselves knew the design of these games, so we took the liberty of putting them together without your fore-knowledge to challenge both sides."

Chiron and Lupa laughed at the looks on their faces before going off. "Rachel, Octavian, follow us. We need you."

This left the Council of Demigods in an awkward silence.

"Hey, at least it's less work for us, right?" Leo said, trying to break the tension.

They shared a slight chuckle amongst themselves at this.

"Says the kid in his workshop 24/7," Annabeth teased.

"You're one to talk. I can hardly find you when I want to hang out!" Percy complained. "Always working on a new building or designing a new invention. It's like you don't want to spend any time with me at all."

Annabeth rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's antics before kissing him, leaving a goofy grin on his face.

Everyone laughed at that.

"Look, guys," Nico started, "I know we're not all the best of friends here, and I know most of you don't want me here, but it looks like we're going to be working together for a while. So we should probably get to know each other, I think."

The others looked at her brother in shock. "Why would we not want you here, Nico?" Thalia asked.

Nico turned a cold eye on her, but she didn't back down. "I was never accepted," he said, opening up for the first time in his life to so many people at once. "I didn't think you guys would want to work with me, either."

"Nico!" Percy exclaimed, "Zeus only knows how many times you saved our asses these past few years, and you _still_ think we don't want you around? Dude, you've got to stop thinking everyone doesn't like you. We do want you around."

Nico gave him a wry smile. "Do you really believe that, Percy? Do you all _really_ believe that? Is that why Reyna and Frank are looking at me as though they're trying to figure out when I'm going to pull up an army of the dead?"

"Nico," Annabeth said before anyone could interrupt. "You said that we should all get to know each other since we'll be working together for a while. So let's start with you."

Nico looked alarmed but nodded.

"What is this," Leo asked, "Twenty Questions?"

"Actually," Reyna said with amusement dancing in her eyes, "that might be fun."

"Let's not," Nico interrupted. "But what do you want from me, Annabeth?"

"Well, first of all, what did my mom mean when she said you swore off Aphrodite's realm yesterday?" Annabeth asked pointedly and in genuine curiosity. "And why was Jason so worried?"

Piper's eyes widened. "Is this related to what happened in Croatia?" She asked, her mental gears turning.

"Wait, what happened in Croatia?" Percy asked the question on everyone else's minds.

"On our way to Epirus," Hazel explained, "We had to stop in Croatia to pick up the scepter of Diocletian, so we could defend the House of Hades from our enemies when we came to free you guys. Jason and Nico went by themselves, and after they came back, no matter how much we asked them, they wouldn't tell us what happened."

Percy looked at Nico in curiosity; Jason looked at Nico with sadness and concern; and the rest of them watched the exchange between Nico and Jason in anticipation. Maybe now they would learn the secrets they had been keeping for so long.

"You know, Nico," Jason said softly, trying to sound comforting, "you said that we should learn to work together. You're our patron now. Why don't you set an example?"

"That's easy enough for you to say, Grace," Nico retorted, "You don't have to live under the curses of a thousand lifetimes like I do. You don't need a goddess to take away the pain you feel inside." He coughed to hide his sob.

Reyna stood up and walked over to Nico. Putting a hand on his shoulder, she said, "Nico, what happened in Croatia? You know you can tell us."

Nico shook his head. "I can't," he whispered. "I'm supposed to be protecting you guys, now, that's what the Council gave me as my gift, not the other way around."

"Nico," Hazel said in a firm voice, taking his hand, "You don't always have to be strong alone. We're here for you. Come on," she ended on an almost pleading note.

Nico closed his eyes for a moment, maybe trying to force down the tears. It didn't work. A few leaked out of his eyelids and started rolling down his cheeks.

"I faced Eros," Nico said finally, his eyes flickering to Jason. An understanding passed between the two of them.

"That's it?" Percy laughed. "You faced the god of love? That's your big secret? What, did he make you reveal an embarrassing crush or something?"

The ground started to vibrate as Nico's anger rose. His shadow grew longer, and the sky darkened.

"Percy," Jason interrupted. "It's not as easy as you think—"

"Yes, Perseus Jackson," Nico growled, "I did have to reveal an embarrassing crush. Thanks for judging me before you know everything. I appreciate it."

Nico pounded the table, cleaving it clean in two, and stormed off, an aura of darkness following him.

Jason glared at Percy before punching him in the gut. He tried to go after the Ghost King, but Piper stopped him.

"I'll go talk to him. I'm the Love expert here, right?" She said softly. She turned and followed the retreating shadow.

The rest of the Council of Demigods watched in shock at what had just transpired.

* * *

"Jason," Annabeth said softly, "what happened in Croatia? Why is Nico like this? What did Eros make him do?"

Jason turned to her sadly. "It's not my story to tell, Annabeth. I'm sorry."

"Jason, he swore off all love yesterday," Annabeth said, angrily, "And now he just said he faced the God of Love on our quest. And you punched Percy for saying that he had to own up to an embarrassing crush. Something's not right here. What happened?"

Jason glared at Percy one last time before looking at Annabeth.

With a sigh, the Son of Jupiter began, "Look, I can't tell you everything, but I'll tell you what I can. Cupid, Eros, whatever his name is," everyone was shocked with the venom Jason said Love's true name, "was guarding the Palace of Diocletian. It used to be the entryway to his palace before Diocletian took it over. When Diocletian died, his scepter, which can call forth ancient Roman armies, went into Cupid's archives. He kept it and protected it. In order to get it from Love, both Nico and I had to 'conquer' him. We had to own up to all of our history and present."

Jason's eyes flickered to Reyna for a second before turning back to address Annabeth. "Cupid said that Love only yields rewards after great sacrifice… and the truth."

"So what?" Thalia asked in confusion.

Jason looked tired. "I can't tell you what Nico had to go through. It's his story to tell. But to give you guys an idea of how cruel Cupid is, I'll tell you what I had to admit as the truth."

Jason looked at Reyna once again. She was wearing normal clothes for once, without any armor or formal Senate wear. She just had on a purple t-shirt and blue jeans. Her hair was up in a ponytail, and her eyes were as cold and calculating as ever. Yet, when Jason looked at her, he couldn't help but think that she had never looked more beautiful. But, she had sworn off love yesterday, and he was sworn to another.

Jason looked down at the table again. "To get the scepter of Diocletian," he said in almost a whisper, "I had to admit to Cupid that I was doubtful about whether I had met true love, yet, or not. He made me admit all my insecurities about Piper and my past with just one sentence. And the worst part," Jason had tears rolling down his cheeks at this, "The god of Love laughed at this," he finished with a shout.

The faces on the table looked shocked.

"So you see, Percy," Jason said, heartbroken and venomously, "it was not nearly as easy as you think. And compared to Nico's secret, mine is a walk in the park," he finished, laughing bitterly.

Percy looked shocked at what Jason had said. He'd faced Aphrodite numerous times, but she had never been that cruel. Love was supposed to be calm, soothing, faithful… He glanced at Annabeth and appreciated once more how lucky he was. More or less, the gods had given him a happy love life. Sure, there were ups and downs with drama here and there, but he was able to live with and groom his love for her without much opposition or struggle.

"What was Nico's secret?" Thalia asked Jason gently, squeezing his shoulder from her position standing behind him. It was hard to believe that the brother and sister, once separated in age by almost a decade, were the same age now.

"I believe that is my story to tell," a voice said from behind them. They turned to see Nico and Piper returning. He still looked like he had faced down an army of empousai, but he looked better. More than anything, he looked sad.

* * *

Nico knew someone would follow him. He expected it to be Jason, so he was surprised when he saw Piper of all people on his tail.

"You know," she said in a huff, "I liked you better as a fourteen-year-old. Now that you're sixteen, you're faster and stronger. I can't keep up with you anymore."

Nico couldn't help it. He laughed at Piper's flushed remark. "And why would I want you to keep up with me, anyway?" he said in an almost teasing voice, forcing his feelings of anger down within himself.

_Holding grudges is a fatal flaw for children of Hades_, his sister had warned him a long time ago. If he was going to live a meaningful life and do his duty to protect the demigods, he had to learn to let go of his anger. That was the only way.

"What do you want, Piper?" He asked stiffly.

Piper looked at him sadly. "I know," she said quietly.

Nico raised his eyebrow. "You might be the daughter of Aphrodite, Piper, but I doubt you know who I had liked and what I had to do in front of Eros."

Piper shook her head. "I don't know that, Nico, but I do know how cruel Love is." Her voice sounded so bitter that Nico felt sorry for her.

She was in a relationship with a guy she had false memories with, and from their encounter with Cupid, it sounded like Jason doubted himself in this department anyway. Maybe he still had lingering feelings for Reyna.

Maybe Piper did understand what Nico was going through.

"That's why Athena offered you protection from my mom's realm, isn't it?" She asked softly.

Nico looked confused, "What?"

"Athena herself falls in love," Piper explained. "She has demigod children even though she's a maiden goddess. Since she's the wisdom goddess, something tells me that she wouldn't hold her Champions to a different standard than she holds herself."

Nico looked at Piper in a new light.

"And she said that you would be just like one her children. But her children fall in love all the time."

Nico smiled wryly at that, thinking of his Patron's most favored child.

"So why did she do it?" Piper turned to Nico.

Nico laughed bitterly. "It was part of her blessing. I'm the first Champion she's taken on since Odysseus, four and a half thousand years ago."

"Huh? What do you mean, 'her blessing'?"

"She's doing something for me that I want."

He stood up abruptly. "We should probably go back."

Piper stood up, too, and faced him. "Nico, I don't know what you faced in Croatia, and I'm not going to pretend that I know you or have an idea of what you had to deal with in your life. I don't. But I want you to know that we're here for you; all of us. You might be our protector, but we are here to protect you, too. We're going to be working together for Zeus knows how long. We should trust each other."

Nico looked at her carefully. "Maybe you're right," he admitted. "If I'm going to be the patron god of all demigods, I guess I should start by being one myself."

Piper nodded encouragingly. They had returned to their friends by now.

"What's Nico's secret," Thalia asked Jason.

Nico interrupted before Jason could respond. "I believe that is my story to tell," even to himself, Nico sounded dejected.

They took their seats. Jason was looking at Nico in concern. "Nico, you don't have to tell us—"

"No," Nico cut him off. "There's no use hiding. We will all be working together for the next ten years at least, and we need to learn to trust each other."

Thalia walked over and sat in the seat next to him. It was hard to believe that they were all roughly the same age now. He still remembered being in awe, watching Thalia zap monsters with lightning and push Percy back into the creek in Capture the Flag. She grabbed his hand in comfort.

"I promised your sister before we went on the quest to save Artemis three years ago," Thalia began. Nico closed his eyes, pushing down the anger and trying to block the pain and tears from coming out. "I promised her that I would protect you. I have failed," Thalia whispered though everyone heard. "I'm sorry."

Nico looked at her, pain in his eyes, "You did what you could, Thalia," he said firmly, "You were not responsible for her death." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Percy flinch and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "It wasn't yours, either, Percy," he said curtly. "Bianca made her choice. It was her Fate. It was her future and her decision." He turned back to Thalia. "Thank you for trying to protect me. You did all you could. I appreciate it. But now, it's my turn. Now, it's my responsibility to protect you, all of you," he said, turning to face them all, "It is my duty to protect all of you from harm."

"Nico," Reyna interrupted from behind him. A part of him found it funny how Reyna always found herself behind the demigod needing comfort most. "You don't have to do it alone," the praetor continued. "Trust me," she said bitterly, "I of all people know what it is like to lead on your own and swear your life to protect something. But you don't have to. Maybe you're the one destined to be the god of demigods. Maybe you're the one who will represent demigod interests on the Council of Gods in the future. But you're here for now. You don't have to do it alone."

Annabeth nodded at him from across the table. "You protected us for a year on your own, Nico. My mother told me what you did once you took on the patronage of Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter. Without your protection, we couldn't have prepared for the war. Thank you," she said in all honestly. "But we're all together now. You're not alone, and you don't have to act like it."

"I promised to Grover and Annabeth," Percy spoke for the first time since Nico's return. "after the quest to save Artemis that I would protect you, too. And I made the gods promise after the Titan War last year to accept Hades and Hades' children. And I promised I would, too. I'm sorry, Nico. I tried to protect you, too. I failed miserably. I wasn't able to protect you from anything but the Great Prophecy, and I didn't even keep my promise."

Nico just looked at Percy in pain. "I'm used to it, Percy. No one has ever kept a promise to me, and no one has ever kept it to a child of Hades before. I'm not an optimist; I'm a realist."

Everyone flinched at this.

"It doesn't mean—"

"Percy, just stop," Nico cut him off. "It doesn't matter. The past is the past. There's nothing we can do about it. We need to look to the future, now."

"How old are you, now, Nico?" Frank asked, looking at the 6'3" demigod in wonder.

"Sixteen," Nico answered. "Athena aged me so that my birthday would fall today."

"The same day as me," Thalia commented.

Nico looked at her and nodded.

"Are you ready to trust us now?" Reyna asked him.

Nico closed his eyes for a moment and then reopened them. Once again, he had an emotionless visage with cold, dark eyes.

"When I faced Eros, he forced me to face all my worst fears and secrets," Nico began truthfully, "He told me that for Love to yield rewards, the seeker had to give everything, _especially_ the truth. He asked me to reveal one of the main reasons I avoided both camps as much as possible, even though I was protecting them. He asked me to accept my identity in the open."

Nico sighed and shared a look with Jason. The Son of Hades hated to admit it, but he and Jason had developed a bond with their shared experience of conquering Love. It wasn't fun, and it wasn't what he wanted to do. And he most certainly didn't want to have a bond with the Son of Jupiter of all people.

"Eros made me admit that I had no friends—"

"Nico," Annabeth said, murder in her voice, "If you believe that for even one second, Child of Hades or not, I will kill you. You always had friends."

Nico chuckled without humor. "Aren't you the one who ostracized me more than anyone else, Annabeth? Because you assumed I had a crush on you?"

Annabeth snorted. "Obviously my suspicions were wrong. But you have friends, Nico. Don't ever say that again."

Nico just shook his head and picked up his story. "Eros made me admit that I have no friends. He made me admit that I hated being a Son of Hades. He made me admit that I hated not being from this century. He made me admit all my insecurities and reasons I hated myself. And in the end, to finally take the scepter from him, he made me admit that I was gay…"

Everyone but Jason looked shocked. Jason looked at Nico worriedly. "Nico—"

"Save it, Jason. Athena's blessing protects me from her wrath and his stupidity, anyway. Eros made me admit that I once had a crush on Percy."

The table was dumbfounded.

"You… what?!" Percy exclaimed.

Nico rolled his eyes. "You're a dimwit, Percy Jackson. How I liked you, I have no idea."

"Don't I know it," Annabeth muttered, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Hey!" Percy pouted as everyone cracked up, the tension at the table immediately evaporating.

"That's the big secret."

"You seriously expected us to judge you because of that?" Thalia asked him with a raised eyebrow. "Nico, you know the myths better than any of us. You know that all the gods have had and continue to have numerous same-sex lovers."

"Yeah, Apollo doesn't really hide his little secrets," Nico muttered.

"So that's why Athena said you had to foreswear romantic love yesterday, isn't it?" Reyna questioned. "She was trying to help you out."

Nico nodded. "Thankfully, Athena's patronage now protects me from all romantic love; past, present, and future. So no, Percy, you egotistical maniac, I don't like you anymore."

"Hey!" Percy cried in indignation, but there was amusement in his eyes. "Seriously, man, you thought we were going to judge you based on that? You know nothing about us if you really thought that. We're all family here. We love each other. The least we can do is help each other out."

"A dysfunctional family," Nico muttered, which caused everyone to laugh freely, and even Nico allowed himself a small smile.

"Well, who's next?" Jason asked briskly.

"I vote Thalia," Annabeth said, looking at her friend. "Who did you fall in love with?"

Thalia's hands crackled with sparks for a second as she got her anger in control. "I didn't fall in love with anyone, Annabeth, but I knew that my time to leave the Hunt had come. The only reason I joined was to escape the Great Prophecy." Thalia looked apologetically at Percy. "I'm sorry, Percy, but after what happened on Mount Tam, I didn't think I would make the right choice. I was a coward, passing on such a burden to you when you were so young." Nico squeezed Thalia's hand; somehow, she had never let go through his explanation.

"It's okay, Thalia," Percy said softly. "It all worked out okay in the end."

"You would have been the same age Percy was when it happened, Thalia," Nico pointed out. "Hell, except for Hazel we're all the pretty much the same age now."

Hazel flushed and glared at her brother whose eyes shone with mirth.

"Yeah, Hazel's the baby in this family now," Jason laughed. "Ow!" A gold bar had hit the former praetor in back of his head.

Everyone laughed at this as Hazel smirked. "You're not a praetor anymore, Jason. You're my equal now."

Jason pouted for a minute before Piper kissed him, effectively brightening his mood.

Thalia grinned at her brother's predicament before turning serious again. "I didn't fall in love, but I was thinking too much about the man whom I used to love," she admitted.

Understanding dawned on Annabeth's face. "Luke?" She asked gently.

Thalia nodded, blinking back the tears. Nico rose and pulled her into a hug. "He got into Elysium, you know," he said softly into her ear though he was sure everyone heard anyway. "He died a hero's death by making the right choice in the end."

Thalia nodded into his chest. "I know. Thank you."

"No problem," he smiled at her, trying to give her comfort that he had never gotten when his sister had died. "He's waiting for you before he goes for rebirth."

The two sat down, hands still clenched. Maybe there was nothing romantic between them, but they did have their friendship.

"Okay, Percy and Annabeth," Reyna turned to the two in question; "It's your turn. What made you two like Hera all of a sudden," the praetor demanded.

"She's not so hard to understand once you get past the bitterness," Annabeth answered smoothly.

"Yeah," Percy agreed, "She isn't too happy about being forced to stay married to a guy who never stops cheating on her."

Thunder rumbled. "Oh, shut it, Dad," Thalia screamed at the sky. "You know it's true." That effectively shut the sky up.

"And besides," Percy continued, chuckling, "She's actually a good mother to her family when you get to know her. As much as she doesn't have love for demigods, she doesn't hate us, either."

"It isn't in her nature to hate us," Annabeth said, "She's a goddess of the family. Whether she likes to or not, she still watches over our family."

"Alright, Reyna," Thalia said, "Let's hear it. Why did you ask Aphrodite to leave you alone?"

Reyna's face took on her famous poker face, the one that no one could read. She looked at each of the demigods around her in turn. "My first loyalty is to the men and women under my command. It is my duty and role as a leader in the Roman army. It is my life, my mission, and my goal. Once before, I was distracted from this path. It led me to emotional despair that caused me to go into reclusion for a week."

Jason closed his eyes, trying and failing to block out the grief that filled him at these words. He didn't know that his disappearance had effected Reyna this badly.

"I had left my people at the mercy of a manipulative and power-hungry augur. I was helpless, and I was unable to lead. I never want to take that chance again. My soldiers swear on their lives to serve me. It is only right that I do the same to them. They are my life, my duty, my honor, and the reason I live. I will never turn my back on them again. I cannot."

There was silence at this, respect at Ryena's strength and actions.

"Wow, Reyna," Piper breathed, "I admire your courage and strength."

Reyna looked at the Daughter of Love in appreciation. "Thank you, Piper. I give my life to the men and women under my command. I will never be lead astray by the whims of the heart again."

She glared at the table after finishing, almost willing it to go ablaze.

"Frank, Hazel, you're up!" Nico said.

"What?" Both asked.

Nico rolled his eyes, and Piper responded. "Why did you guys ask the gods to leave Percy and Annabeth alone and ask them spend more time with their children?"

"Because we're family," Hazel responded smoothly. "We have to stick together."

Frank nodded. "These adventures have taught me one thing: As much as my family annoys the hell out of me, _dad_, we have to stick together, because if we don't, we have already let our enemies win."

"Okay, Leo, you haven't said anything so far. Let's hear about Calypso," Jason addressed his friend.

Leo glared at him halfheartedly. The truth was that he didn't want to talk about Calypso. Poseidon's words yesterday had made him incredibly sad, and he didn't really want to deal with Percy's reaction.

Percy had stiffened at the name of the sorceress. He pulled Annabeth closer to him, just to make sure that the curses hadn't gotten her again. He controlled the urge to cause an earthquake at the anger boiling within him for what Calypso had put Annabeth through in Tartarus.

"You all know the myths," Leo said defiantly, a fire in his eyes, "The gods promised to free Calypso, but they didn't. I'm just going to fulfill that promise."

Piper looked at him sadly. "Leo, just be careful, alright. You never know with immortals what their true aims are."

"And don't think Calypso is the forgiving type," Percy warned. Leo resisted the urge to strangle the Son of Poseidon at this. "She cursed Annabeth and me in Tartarus. Be careful, Leo, I don't want you to get hurt, too."

Leo looked at the table at nodded. He didn't really feel like cracking a joke right now.

Percy turned back to Piper. "You're the last one, Piper," he said with a smile. "What's your secret?"

"Well, my dad's a famous actor, my dad never talks to me," she began rattling off, "I love a guy whom I have fake memories with, I wish my mom wasn't so manipulative, I hate Drew, I'm known as a kleptomaniac…"

All of the demigods assembled were laughing, even Nico and Leo, as Piper listed off all her worst 'secrets' that they had all already known as though they were items on a grocery list.

"I hate the Wilderness School, I think Coach Hedge is slightly insane, I thought Gaea was beautiful in a deadly I'll-destroy-everything-you-love way, I never thought I'd see Annabeth defending Hera, oh and I still have no idea how Nico survived Tartarus on his own and what the hell Athena meant when she said that he's both Greek and Roman and how the hell he became Champion of Hestia and all those other insane titles she said." She finished with a pointed look at Nico.

The laughing immediately died down at this, and they all turned to Nico.

He flinched, but looked at Thalia, Percy, Hazel, and Annabeth before responding. "In Tartarus," his voice was filled with pain, "you have to focus on the one thing that ties you to the mortal world to survive. You have to stay rooted in sanity, or else you'll lose your sanity."

"Nico, Annabeth and I went through Tartarus together for two and a half weeks. How the hell did you survive for two whole weeks down there by yourself?"

"I focused on the one happy memory I have. I thought of the time in Westover when Bianca told me that she loved me and that I could be anything I wanted to be when I grew up." He closed his eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling.

"Wow, Nico," Annabeth whispered, "You're so powerful and brave. I'm proud of you."

Nico looked at her gratefully. "As to how I am both Greek and Roman, I don't know," he said bitterly. "I overheard Alecto and Dad talking about it before the Titan War. Alecto explained to dad that the reason I couldn't be the child of the Great Prophecy was that I wasn't completely Greek. When Hades came to my mom the second time, he had somehow come as both his Greek and Roman forms."

"That's why you were able to go to both camps without problems," Reyna commented.

"Yes," Nico nodded, "And it's why I can speak fluent Latin and Greek."

"But why did the legion not follow your orders in Epirus?" Frank asked in confusion.

"Two reasons: I am not a ranked member of the Roman military, and I am more Greek than Roman. My dad said that it was about a 60-40 ratio within me of Greek to Roman."

"What about all those titles that Athena and Zeus said?" Piper asked. "When and how did you get all of them?"

Nico smiled sadly at her. "I got them through hard work and studying. I was the first child of Hades in a hundred years to learn how to shadow travel. The shadows just like me, I guess," the bitterness at his strange power was not lost on his friends, "Dad made me Master of Shadows. Percy and Annabeth know why and how I'm the Ghost King."

The said duo nodded subconsciously with their eyes darkening at the memories of the Labyrinth.

"That's a long story I don't feel like telling right now. As to how I become Prince of the Underworld, Champion of Hestia, and Heir to the Sacred Hearth… Hades and Persephone have no immortal children. And according to Alecto, I'm the most powerful Child of Hades of all time. Listening to them, if Bianca had lived, she would be even more powerful. I was never formally given the title 'Prince of the Underworld', but I guess it's just what the gods and the dead call me since I'm the closest person to Hades' throne after Persephone."

Jason whistled in appreciation. "Dude, you're fucking insane."

"As the Champion of Hestia and Heir to the Sacred Hearth… After I left Camp Half-Blood the first time, I sought out the protection of Lady Hestia. She accepted me; I became her vassal and Champion. She became my patron. I protected her hearth and spread her message around the world, and in return, she protected me. And again, Hestia has no immortal children, and I am the first Champion she has ever taken on. I guess that's how I'm Heir to the Sacred Hearth."

Nico finished with annoyance. He hated thinking about all this titles. It just made his head spin and hate his life. Why did he have to be so complicated?

"Nico," Annabeth asked cautiously, "Just how powerful are you?"

"You said," Piper added, "That Percy is the most powerful demigod you've ever met… Why do I feel like you were lying?"

Nico laughed bitterly. "Oh, don't worry, Piper, I wasn't lying. The Son of Poseidon is the most powerful demigod I've ever met, no offense Thalia, sorry Jason."

The Grace siblings shrugged. They knew when to accept the truth.

"But Perseus Jackson is not the most powerful demigod alive," finished a female voice behind Nico.

Nico recognized that voice. He got down on one knee before the goddess. "My Lady," he said respectfully.

"No need to show so much respect, Child," Hestia smiled warmly at him, patting his head. For once, she was not in the form of an eight-year-old. She had taken the form of a grown woman in her late twenties. She approached the table.

"Lady Vesta," Reyna said, and she, Jason, Frank, and Hazel bowed in respect. "Our patron, keeper of the home and hearth and Protector of the Flame of Greco-Roman Civilization."

"You flatter me, children," the goddess said, "but there is no need."

"To answer your questions, Annabeth and Piper," Hestia turned to the two, "Yes, Percy Jackson is the most powerful demigod that Nico has ever met. And it is absolutely true that Percy will go down into the history books as the greatest hero of all time."

Percy's face reddened at this high praise from a goddess.

"But greatness and ability are two different things," she continued.

Nico looked down at this lap. He really didn't want to hear this, but he knew that his friends deserved to know.

"Nico di Angelo has the powers of the two oldest Olympian gods _and_ the goddess of wisdom and battle strategy. He has accomplished more than any demigod alive, save Percy Jackson. He has saved Olympus from itself, but in this sense, he is a lot like me."

She squeezed Nico's shoulder at this to comfort him.

"Percy Jackson, you have saved Olympus from its enemies many times. You will rightfully be remembered for that for all time. But Nico has saved Olympus from itself just as many times. But he will not be remembered for that. Just as I will not be remembered soon, because I saved Olympus from its inner demon of civil war, Nico will not be remembered for keeping Olympus from destroying itself with inner conflict and personal grudges."

She gave a sad smile to the demigods.

"I will change that, My Lady," Percy said with determination.

"It is what is woven by the Morai, Percy," Nico said softly. "There is nothing you can do."

"No," Percy glared. "I promised Lady Hestia that I would make sure her contributions to civilization will be remembered forever. I will do the same to you. It's not hard to fight enemies… But it's impossible to keep those you love from fighting themselves."

Percy looked at Ananbeth sorrowfully, both of them understanding what he was referring to.

"I once said that you were the greatest Olympian, Lady Hestia," Percy said, "I will see to it that you are honored forever. And Nico, I'm not the greatest demigod of all time."

Percy got up, uncapped Riptide, and knelt, proffering his sword on hand, "You are. You saved Olympus from destroying itself. You saved _us_ from destroying ourselves. You kept the two demigod camps safe when the gods could not. You will be remembered forever. I swear it."

Nico and Hestia looked at Percy in half amusement and half sadness. "Do not make promises you can't keep, Percy," Hestia said earnestly before flashing out, leaving the demigods alone once again.

"Percy, get up, and stop. You can't take oaths you won't be able to keep. Seriously. You look ridiculous," Nico said.

"You will not be forgotten. I assure you."

Nico just looked sadly at him before shaking his head, muttering under his breath. He would never learn when to stop letting his fatal flaw from controlling him.

"On that happy note," Annabeth said, a gleam in her eyes, "It's time for war games. Romans, leave!"

"Who gets Nico?" Thalia asked.

"Greeks," Reyna answered smoothly. "I understand that he is on the Roman side of the Council of Demigods, but he is still mostly Greek. Let him fight for the Greeks."

With a smirk, Reyna led Jason, Hazel, and Frank away.

"I vote we make Nico the captain," Annabeth said.

Everyone looked at her in shock. Annabeth was _always_ leader and chief strategist of the Greeks.

Ananbeth rolled her eyes at the incredulous looks she got. "What? He's beaten the Romans before, and besides, I'm not going to argue with my own _mother_ if she says that he's a brilliant strategist."

"Good luck!" Jason yelled back.

"We'll cream you!" Percy yelled back.

The Greeks laughed before turning inward to create their offensive strategies. Today, they would be attacking and Rome defending, tomorrow Greece would be defending with Rome attacking, and on the third day, the same day the gods would create Fort Olympus by magic, the two sides would end with a friendly game of Capture the Flag.

For once, it was good to be a demigod.

* * *

**Author's Note**: This ended up being way longer than I had originally anticipated, but I'm really happy with the way it turned out. As always, please let me know what you guys think by leaving a review! :)

**Review Replies**:

unangepredateur: (Chapter 1) Thank you for your kind words! :) As for why Athena did what she did, it was to make Nico reflect his true knowledge and wisdom.

Swimchick37: (Chapter 1) Hahaha it's okay! I'm a grammar Nazi myself, so I like well written fics myself! And funnily enough, Nico was never my favorite character! It was always, and still is, Annabeth. But I felt like Nico needed some loving after all he's been through. And I love Leo! Actually, I love all the characters. XD I have mixed feelings about Jason, but other than him, I love all of the main characters!

Matt: (Chapter 1) Thank you for your kind words! After reading _The House of Hades_, I developed a newfound appreciation for Nico myself.


	3. Chapter 3: Actions

**Author's Note**: This chapter is about half the size of the last two, but I ended in a good place, I think. I hope the next one will be a lot longer to make up for it. As always, leave a review and please let me know what you guys think! :)

**Disclaimer: **_Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ and _The Heroes of Olympians_ and all things related are property of Rick Riordan and Disney Hyperion. I am not making any profit off of this work in any way, shape, or form.

Fort Olympus

* * *

**Chapter 3: Actions**

* * *

The Greek and Roman demigods were assembled on either side of the field between the lake and the hill leading to the Big House. The area was a lot larger than the Field of Mars that the Romans were used to playing on, and the Greeks felt out of place without the forest to impede their way.

Chiron's and Lupa's engineers had built a temporary fort in front of the lake, complete with ballistae, catapults, battlements, a moat with bridges, and a wooden door.

The twelve leaders of the two camps stepped forward to greet.

On the Roman side, Reyna led Jason, Frank, Hazel, and Octavian. On the Greek, Nico led Annabeth, Percy, Thalia, Leo, Rachel, and Piper.

Octavian's face burst into a smirk, and Reyna's eyes reflected her sorrow to her Greek friends as the two sides met in the center of the battlefield.

"Before the _Argo II_ arrived in New Rome," Octavian said boldly, "Perseus Jackson, our praetor, swore on his life to protect us if the Greeks attacked."

Reyna's face looked pained, and Jason looked at Percy sorrowfully.

"Regrettably, the Greeks did attack us. However, our _ever_ so loving and loyal praetor did not keep this promise."

Percy stiffened at this, suddenly understanding where this was going.

"The laws of Rome are clear, anyone who breaks their oath shall be sentenced to death. However, since our _esteemed_ praetor," Octavian continued, pure venom in his voice, "has been taking into the gods' service, we cannot do anything to make him live up to his promise. And regrettably, we cannot punish him for attacking Romans when he swore to counter Greek attacks."

Nico could feel the Greek demigods growing angrier by the second as Octavian continued to speak, and he saw that the Romans were watching in fear. They no longer had the home field advantage. If the Greeks attacked, the Romans would be destroyed on this battlefield.

"Since we cannot make praetor Jackson serve his sentence directly," Octavian finished, "we demand that _our_ _praetor_ join us in these war games, against his homeland Greeks. If he fights honorably today, we will consider the damage done to us paid for. And we will consider his debt fulfilled."

Octavian glared at the Greek leaders in front of him. Nico resisted the urge to set a legion of skeletons on this kid.

_Save it for the battlefield_. The Son of Hades reminded himself. _We're going to kick his ass to Tartarus and back_.

"It is the duty," Reyna said, in pain, "of any Roman leader to answer the call of duty when pulled forward by one of his or her soldiers. I am sorry, my fellow praetor," she looked at Percy and Annabeth sorrowfully, "you must serve on our side today for the three days of friendly activities between the Greeks and Romans."

Octavian sneered. "This is the _least_ he could do—"

"Enough!" Reyna ordered, murder flashing in her eyes as she turned back to the Augur. "Remember your place, Augur. _I_ am the senior praetor of New Rome. _I_ make and enforce the laws of New Rome. You are merely a centurion. Watch your mouth, or else you won't have one."

Reyna have him a bone-chilling glare before turning back to Percy.

Percy looked at Annabeth and Percy in turn.

"I'm sorry, guys," he apologized, "but I have to."

"Go, Percy," Leo said, his voice clearly revealed his dread. He knew it was his fault that they were in this situation in the first place. If only he had been strong enough to resist the Gaea's eidolons, they wouldn't be in this mess today. He always screwed up.

"Percy, it's okay," Nico said. "Your duty to your soldiers should always come first. We'll be fine."

Percy hesitated but nodded. Annabeth gave him a kiss before pushing him towards Reyna. They might as well get it over with.

Percy walked over and joined ranks with the Roman leaders, half against his will.

"Heroes!" Chiron called. "The war games will begin in twenty minutes. You have this time to prepare your strategies and ready your maneuvers. Lupa and I will serve as battlefield medics and referees. No killing or maiming allowed. All magic items are permitted. Dirty tactics are expected. All demigods with powers are allowed to use them."

* * *

"Well isn't that just great!" Thalia complained after the six remaining Greek leaders; herself, Nico, Annabeth, Rachel, Leo, and Piper; gathered.

"We can still win," Annabeth insisted.

"Annabeth," Piper said quietly, "we're going against two of the best fighters of the century. There's no way we can win."

"We can," Annabeth responded curtly. "Look, we're going to have to change the strategy to attack now. I have no doubt that Octavian had Percy reveal our plans. Clarisse, take the Aphrodite and Ares campers in V Frontal Formation to the left flank and take out those battlements. Rachel, you lead the eight minor god in the V cabins to the right flank. Try to keep those ballistae occupied."

Nico looked thoughtful. "That would work. Send the Pegasus battalion to the thick of it. That'll provide enough distraction from all sides for us to mount our attack."

Annabeth nodded. "We have two options. If the Romans come out to attack us, we should take the rest of the campers and attack in a pincer formation, break their lines and storm the fort. If they don't attack us, we need to pull out the catapults. Leo, does the Hephaestus cabin have them ready?"

"Are you kidding? Of course we do!" Leo grinned with a maniacal twinkle in his eye.

Annabeth smiled and then turned back to Nico. "Anything else?"

Nico's face broke into a mad grin, causing the Greek leaders to shudder. "We're going to use the Romans' best attacks against them. Knowing how much the Romans love offense, they're going to send out a cohort as bait first, expecting us to send our forces to stop them. Let them charge out of the fort, but don't attack them. Once they get to the middle of the field, I'll take care of them."

Annabeth nodded. "That just leaves the fighters when we break their defenses."

"Thalia, keep Jason occupied. Annabeth, you've got Reyna. Piper, make Octavian rue the day he was born. I'll keep Percy distracted."

"Uh… Nico," Leo asked nervously, "Not to doubt your power or anything, but Percy's the greatest swordsman since, like, Achilles… Are you sure you can take him."

"Oh don't worry about me," Nico smirked, "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

Annabeth and Thalia exchanged worried looks. This didn't sound all that good all of a sudden.

* * *

A horn sounded. "Heroes!" Chiron's voice called from the sidelines. "The games have begun. May the gods' be with you!"

"Greeks," Nico yelled in his best drill sergeant voice. "Form ranks, phalanx formation, now!"

The Greeks struggled to get into their assigned place fast enough. Nico resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He had to keep reminding himself that military discipline wasn't in the nature of Greece. That would always be with Rome.

The 250-odd Greek demigods formed into their six assigned phalanxes.

The water cannons started firing at the Greeks from the fort.

"Greeks!" Nico barked. "Lock shields! Hold your fire!"

The thrust from the water cannons broke upon contact with the shields. After the initial barrage from the cannons was finished, Nico gave another order: "Cabin Nine! Plan Delta Four! Now!"

Four trebuchets zoomed towards the Greek ranks.

"On my mark," Leo's voice broke over the battlefield. "FIRE!"

Four balls of death rolled towards the fort, but in midair, they were met with the immaculate trajectory of the Romans' own trebuchets. All four cannonballs were brought down before they made contact with the forth.

Annabeth and Nico shared a look of frustration from their positions at the head of two of the phalanxes.

"Cabin Nine! Hold your fire!" Nico yelled.

Just as he said this, the Third Cohort of the Roman legion marched out of the gate. Nico smirked. They were falling right into his trap. He and Annabeth exchanged a look. He had explained his plan to her a before they had formed the phalanxes. The two commanders shared smirks.

"Cabin Nine!" Annabeth yelled. "Activate Alpha 46! Now!"

The trebuchets all changed their aim and their barrage. Now, instead of being pointed towards the Roman fort, they were pointed at the middle of the battlefield, where the Third Cohort would be in any minute. The cannonballs had been replaced with harmless balls that would release a water vapor cover, throwing an attacker into confusion upon contact, but the Romans didn't know that.

Nico counted to ten after Annabeth gave her order. After ten seconds, he stomped the ground with his right foot. Screams of horror came from the advancing cohort as the Earth they were on sunk a few inches, throwing them all into mass panic.

"Cabin Nine, FIRE!" Annabeth ordered.

The four trebuchets fired, and the Third Cohort was disabled as they tried to navigate through their own confusion.

"Now!" Nico yelled. "Formation 2, 3, and 4, advance!"

Clarisse and Rachel led their phalanxes in the pre-determined V Frontal Formation to bring down the flanks. Leo led his phalanx forward.

"Break ranks! Into unit formation!" Leo ordered after they had navigated to the Third Cohort's confusion.

Screams came from the Roman fort as they struggled to realign themselves to counter the three-pronged attack.

Nico and Annabeth shared another smirk.

Leo's phalanx had broken up into three small groups, and they were advancing on the bridges, just as three more cohorts came out of the fort to neutralize the attackers.

_Four cohorts down, one to go._ Nico thought to himself gleefully.

"Cavalry!" Nico yelled, "Take out those battlements."

As Thalia's phalanx took off on their pegasi, the Romans started firing back. Spears alit with Greek fire and cannonballs flew from the fort. The pegasi gracefully avoided every missile and stayed on course.

The battlefield was mass confusion, smoke, debris, and curses flying everywhere, but Nico watched with satisfaction. His strategy was working perfectly.

He looked over to Annabeth. The two shared a nod. "Formations 1 and 6," they ordered in unison. "Forward! Activate Plan 43 Alpha!"

Nico and Annabeth started leading their phalanxes forward in pincher formation, as they had previously agreed. The formation wound its way through the other groups of fighting demigods without much resistance, until they were standing together before the main bridge across the moat.

"Sorry guys," Percy said from across the moat.

Nico and Annabeth shared a confused look before they heard a _whoosh_.

The water from the moat had formed a huge wave, and it was about to crash on their heads.

"Take care of that will you, Nico?" Annabeth said, almost conversationally.

Nico grinned. "Gladly."

He brought his hands up, bringing the earth around them up with him, groaning under the effort. Percy released the wave of water at the same time Nico released the wave of earth. With the sound barrier broken, the wave was broken and the water doused the fort. The earth wall Nico had created conveniently passed over the moat, too, making it so that the two phalanxes could cross together.

Percy just looked at Nico dumbfounded. "That's not fair," the son of Poseidon whined.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Life isn't fair, Percy." He smirked. "Get used to it."

Nico put his right hand into a fist and punched at the air in front of him.

A rock the size of a cannonball burst from the Earth behind him and slammed into the wooden doors, which immediately disintegrated.

"Greeks! Take the fort!" Annabeth screamed. The entire battlefield erupted into cheers as Annabeth's and Nico's forces overran the fort.

Thalia's pegasus unit had given the last cohort, the Fifth, left in the fort enough trouble, but with the two phalanxes storming the fort, it was all but game over.

Nico watched in satisfaction as his forces moved in.

"Now, to take care of a pesky Percy." Nico smirked at his friend.

"You wish," Percy smirked back at him.

The two men drew their swords. Percy's glinted in the sunlight while Nico's summoned the shadows all around them.

Percy attacked, aiming for Nico's left shoulder, but he anticipated this. Nico parried and aimed for Percy's midriff. Percy blocked that.

Soon, the two were in a dance of swords, clashing, parrying, and darting out of each other's way to win.

Nico thought he heard the horns to signal the end of the games, but he kept sparring. It was a lot more fun to spar a swordsman of his own level instead of those beneath him.

The two Princes danced around each other, parrying, thrusting, attacking, blocking; metal clanged on metal. Around them (not that they noticed in their intense sparring session), the world had started to change to reflect their duel. The water answered Percy's every movement, and the earth and shadows matched Nico's every shift in stance.

Black and bronze glittered against each other, and by now, both men were covered in sweat. Still they went at it.

Finally, the two ended up with their swords crossed, the water rising behind Percy, and the shadows becoming darker and longer behind Nico.

The two men were panting, but there were grins on both of their faces.

Both of them sheathed their swords and turned at the sound of cheering and applause. The war games were long over (Greek victory), and all campers had stopped to marvel at the master swordsmen.

"Now _that_ was impressive," Annabeth grinned at them from across the moat. Percy blushed at all the attention and praise while Nico just looked at everyone impassively, though there was a twinkle in his eye.

"Good match," Nico proffered his hand.

"You, too," Percy grasped it and shook firmly, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He hadn't sparred with a demigod so good at swordsmanship since Luke had died.

"Celebratory dinner will be in the mess hall in half an hour," Chiron announced. "I, ah, would suggest you all get cleaned up after that intense activity."

* * *

Leo looked at the _Argo II_ in front of him. He had Odysseus' astrolabe in his hands, finally having been able to insert the crystal from Calypso's island.

_Well, it's now or never_, he thought. _Let's get this over with._

It was early morning, dawn had barely broken, but he had been anxious to get on his way as soon as possible. Poseidon had told him to wait until today to embark on this journey. Without warning anyone, he had suck off to the dock where the _Argo II_ was.

"Leo, are you sure about this?"

Leo stiffened. He had made sure that no one had followed him.

He turned around. Of _course_ it had to be the one other person at Camp Half-Blood who had fallen for Calypso at one time who would confront him about this, right before he went.

"Percy," Leo answered tersely, "I've made my decision."

Percy nodded awkwardly. "I just want to, uh, warn you. You're like a little brother to me, and I don't want you to get hurt."

"Percy, we're _all_ like brothers to you," Leo managed a small smile. Maybe he wasn't happy with how Percy had treated Calypso, but even he had to admit that having someone watch over them all, willing to sacrifice everything for their safety, had been nice. After Gaea killed his mom died— no, had been killed—he had lived without any stability or real stability. He didn't have anyone looking out for him. But on the _Argo II_, Percy and Annabeth had become almost surrogate parents to all of them. They were the oldest and most experienced, and they always had answers. They loved each other like a real mom and dad would, and they loved everyone else like they were all younger siblings or children.

Percy hesitantly smiled, too. "Yeah," he agreed. "You all are. You're all the brothers and sisters I never had."

Leo nodded. "Percy, if I'm truly your brother, then I need you to take a chance and trust me like a brother would."

Percy looked unconvinced.

"Look, Percy, I know you're trying to protect me from the evil that is your ex-girlfriend—"

Percy glared murderously at him. "She was not my—"

"Yeah, I know. What I'm trying to say is that I know what I'm doing. I have a promise to keep. I need to do this. I _have_ to do this." Leo ended with an almost pleading tone.

Ever since he had returned from Calypso's island, he had felt heaviness in his heart that he hadn't been able to explain. It was as if someone had died or was lost at sea, and he knew that unless he fixed the problem, he wouldn't be free of this heartache.

Percy's glare morphed into a look of pity. Leo almost preferred his 'brother' would keep glaring at him.

"Look, I just don't want you to get hurt, okay? After I left Ogygia, Calypso cursed me," Percy spat. "And I don't think I'll ever be able to hurt her."

"Percy, I know. You told me about this fifty times. I know what you and Annabeth went through was horrible and inhumane, but have you thought about this from Calypso's perspective?"

Percy raised his eyebrow at Leo, and Leo flinched at the look of shock and annoyance in his eyes.

"I'm just saying, man, think about it… If you got news that someone had asked for you to be freed from your eternal prison and hadn't made sure they'd kept their promise… wouldn't you be a bit mad, too?"

"Well, duh, of course I would. But I wouldn't go and _curse_ them for it."

"Yeah, well," Leo said abruptly, "not all of us have personal loyalty as our fatal flaw."

Percy was taken aback by this comment.

Leo sighed. "Just let me go, Percy. I only promised to return to Ogygia and free Calypso. I know she's immortal. I know I'm mortal. I know that in the end, I'll just be a one night stand for her even if she does decide to get with me. But I need to free her. I owe her that much for all that she's been put through."

Percy didn't look happy but nodded. "Go with the blessing of the sea," he repeated his father's words form two days before.

Leo gave a small smile before Percy enveloped him in a bear hug. "Stay safe, okay?"

"I will," Leo murmured.

"Good. Because if you don't, I'm hunting you down and killing you again."

Leo laughed at Percy's smirk and comment, a real, true laugh, one that he hadn't been able to release since he had returned from Calypso's island.

"And go with the blessing of the Council of Demigods," they heard a voice behind them, and it belonged to, surprisingly, none other than Annabeth Chase.

Leo watched in shock but nodded.

Annabeth took Percy's hand and leaned into him. "Good luck, Leo Valdez, and godspeed to you. I hope you return to us in one piece and loyalty. We can't run a fort without you, you know."

Annabeth gave Leo a pained smile. Leo returned it and nodded.

He boarded the _Argo II_ and looked eastward. Odysseus' astrolabe buzzed to life in the navigation system, and the ship automatically undocked. Leo Valdez began his journey to free an immortal sorceress; a daughter of Atlas, the greatest Titan warrior of them all. But strangely enough, he was in good spirits. He had the consent of the Council of Gods, the Blessing of the Sea, the Support of his Adoptive Parents and Siblings, and the Blessing of the Council of Demigods. He could do this. He knew he could.

With one last wistful look behind him at Percy and Annabeth and Camp Half-Blood, he turned to the east and willed the _Argo II_ to keep going east, into the ocean. He would succeed. He had his own confidence, and he had the support of everyone that mattered. This would go well.

He convinced himself to stay optimistic.

Calypso had said she hated him… She didn't actually mean that… right?

* * *

"I don't blame her, you know," Annabeth murmured under her breath, so Percy could barely hear her.

He looked incredulously at her. "What?"

"I don't blame her," Annabeth repeated. "After you asked the gods to free her, she had hope. I don't know if she still loved you, but I can sense her bitterness. In a way, you were worse to her than all her previous loves."

Annabeth flinched at this, and Percy's bewildered look turned into one of hurt and anger.

"Uh, and why would you say that exactly?"

"Percy, before you, no one else had given her hope of freedom."

"But how is trying to free her a bad thing?" He protested.

"Seaweed Brain, would you let me finish saying my thing for once _before_ you start saying dumb things?"

Percy looked at her sheepishly as she smiled in exasperation. Some things would never, _ever_ change. Well, maybe that wasn't a bad thing all the time.

"What I'm trying to say is that she was used to the heartbreak and loneliness. As time went on, she would probably have gotten over it and moved on. But by giving her hope for something like that, saying that it could change, you made her think that she had a chance at happiness. And it seemed like _you_ would be the cause of it. She put her hopes on you, and you failed to deliver through. Living with the false hope in addition to the heartbreak and loneliness probably sent her over the edge."

Percy looked thoughtful at this. On some level, he supposed he understood. False hope could cause whole empires to fall.

"It still wasn't right of her to curse you like that, though," he said firmly.

"Trust me, I hated it." Annabeth pulled Percy closer to her, just to ascertain that he was still with her. She shuddered at the memories of what happened with the _arai_ in Tartarus. "But I understand why she did what she did."

Percy smiled sadly at her. "You know I'm not going to be able to forgive her for what she did to you, right?"

"Percy, you're not a son of Hades. You can't hold grudges for the life of you."

"And that's exactly why you love me," Percy said and kissed her.

Annabeth laughed. "Oh, Seaweed Brain."

Percy gave her that impish grin she had grown to love so much before whispering, "I love you."

Annabeth smiled back at him. "I love you, too." She kissed him, and as dawn broke over the camp, the two hugged.

* * *

**_AAAH!_**

The scream of Perseus Jackson reverberated through the whole forest.

It was the last round of friendly games between Greece and Rome. So far, the Greeks were undefeated. The Romans had one last chance to prove their worth—in Capture the Flag.

The games started out normally enough. Nico had, once again, led the Greeks into outmaneuvering the Romans. The Greeks had captured the Roman flag were almost across the creek.

But just as they were about to cross over into friendly territory, Perseus Jackson, the greatest demigod of all time, fell before the eyes of his teammates. He had been guarding the creek, the last line of defense were the Greeks to take the flag.

An imperial gold dagger pierced his back. He struggled to get up.

Annabeth rushed forward, screaming Percy's name with tears flowing down her face. She pushed him into the creek, and immediately, he started to heal. She gently pulled the dagger out of his back and hugged him, her sobs broke everyone's heart in the clearing.

Nico di Angelo was ready enraged.

The earth started to quake underneath him, and the shadows became stronger.

He drew his Stygian Iron sword and turned to the First Cohort who had been closest to Percy when he had been attacked.

"Whoever did this," Nico's voice was a deadly whisper, "I will find out. And I will _personally_ see that you spend eternity in the Fields of Punishment."

Nico thrust his sword forward, and fifty undead British redcoats came up from the ground.

"If any of the First Cohort tries to leave, I will personally hunt you down. And I will make your life _and_ death hell."

"How dare you threaten the Romans, you insufferable Greek?" Octavian cried. There was madness in his Reyes. "omans, attack the Greeks! They— "

"Legion," Reyna's voice boomed through the entire forest. She showed up next to Nico on a Pegasus, flanked by her two automaton greyhounds. "Stand down or face the punishment for treason."

The praetor's obsidian eyes started down at all the members of the First Cohort.

Nico's army of undead warriors formed ranks. They loaded their muskets and the bayonets were attached.

"If you know what is good for you," Nico's only spoke in a whisper, but his voice was as loud as an earthquake, "you will reveal yourself right now. Perseus Jackson is your praetor. Insubordination against your ranked officer is sentencable to 400 lashes by Roman law. Attacking your praetor allows execution. If you have an ounce of loyalty to your Roman heritage and legacy, you will own up to your stupidity right now."

"And don't bother lying or hiding," Reyna snapped. "Lie, and you will be buried alive. Hide, and we will go through every _single_ member of this cohort until we find the offender. And when we find you, well, you'll get to my pets here _intimately_."

The cohort cowered back in the combined fury of their senior praetor and the Son of Pluto.

"So which of you is it?" Nico asked calmly. The earthquake had stopped, but the entire First Cohort was trapped on three sides with black, earth walls, while Nico's undead army was staring down them from the one open side.

The cohort didn't say anything.

"I asked," Nico forced out, "Which of you _is it?_"

"It was Octavian!" someone from the back of the Cohort cried.

Octavian's eyes bulged. "How dare you insult your augur like that, fool! Cohort, kill the probation."

"Cohort," Reyna ordered, looking at Octavian with sheer murder in her eyes, "Stand down, or you will _all_ be sentenced to death for defying the orders of your praetor."

Octavian turned to Reyna with fury in his eyes and sneered. "You think you're so great, don't you, Reyna? You act so powerful and popular. Well guess what, you're _not!_"

Aurum and Argentum barked and charged the augur. Nico's undead army turned to the centurion and began advancing.

"Yeah, it was me." Octavian spat out. "What're you going to do about it? You consort with the enemy and have broken all the laws of Rome, Reyna, do _not_ pretend to be representing Roman interests. You're not fooling me."

Reyna's greyhound automatons had reached Octavian before Nico's undead army.

Aurum snapped at and grabbed his foot. Argentum leaped and bit at his shoulder, ripping open a new wound. Octavian screamed in pain.

"Octavian Abehu, former Augur of Apollo and former Centurion of the First Cohort of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata," Reyna announced with venom, "you are under arrest and will stand trial for the charges of treason against Rome, insubordination to your superiors, and attacking a praetor. Praetor Zhang and Senator di Angelo, I want him in your custody until the Senate can be convened to decide his fate. Keep him locked down."

"With pleasure," Frank seethed. Nico didn't respond, but his undead army had surrounded the descendant of Apollo, not letting him move a pace.

"I will go to the Big House to convene the Senate and check up on the status of praetor Jackson and Lady Chase. Legion, retire to your barracks. Centurions, to the amphitheater. I want no Roman to be wielding weapons for the next two days. Any who go against my orders will be sentenced to forty public lashes. Watch yourselves."

Reyna whistled after finishing her speech, and the two automaton dogs bounded over to her. She glared at all the soldiers under command one last time and then flew off on her Pegasus.

Nico brought down his sword, and the earthen walls encasing the First Cohort were brought down.

"You heard praetor Reyna's orders," Frank barked. "To your barracks. _Now!_"

Octavian collapsed in a sea of undead soldiers.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I really struggled with the Leo and Percy scene, but I hope it turned out well!

As always, please leave a review telling me what you guys think! :)


	4. Chapter 4: Precedent

**Author's Note**: This still isn't as long as the first two chapters, but it is longer than the last one, so I hope it will make up for it. This is another chapter with more character development and history/preview than action. I'm getting there, I promise. Be patient with me, please! Haha.

As always, please review and let me know what you guys think! :)

**Disclaimer: **_Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ and _The Heroes of Olympians_ and all things related are property of Rick Riordan and Disney Hyperion. I am not making any profit off of this work in any way, shape, or form.

Fort Olympus

* * *

**Chapter 4: Precedent**

* * *

Leo tried to contain his excitement at seeing the familiar island showing up over the horizon. He had been at sea for three days. Poseidon had obviously been in a good mood all this time because he hadn't faced a single problem. All in all, it was a peaceful journey, and he was ready to see the goddess once again.

Just as the _Argo II_ beached, Calypso came out from her house at the foreign sound. She had a perplexed expression on her face.

"Miss me?" Leo called.

Calypso whirled to see him, and her jaw dropped.

"Careful," Leo said, grinning, "You might catch a fly."

Calypso snapped her jaw shut and glared at him. She marched over to him and punched his shoulder.

"How fucking dare you!" She screamed in his face.

Leo looked sheepish at her outburst. "Uh… sorry…"

Calypso's glare fell. It morphed into an expression of pain and grief.

She began crying, sobs lost to the oceanic mist.

Leo looked at the goddess in alarm. "Calypso—"

She stopped him with a kiss. Leo's eyes widened at the unexpected response. _Well this is embarrassing_.

Calypso pulled away and hugged him fiercely. She continued crying into his chest, her sobs muffled by his shirt.

Leo didn't know what to do. He had come to save this woman from her curse, but she was giving him completely mixed reactions to his appearance.

"Why Leo?" she murmured into his chest.

"I promised, Calypso," he muttered into her ear. "I told you I'd come back. I swore on the Great River."

Calypso pulled back and glared at him again. "I told you not to! Why would you do that? You could have gotten yourself destroyed!"

She was almost in panic at this point.

"Calypso," Leo soothed, "I couldn't just leave you here. The gods didn't keep their promise. Everyone else had forgotten you and left you to rot. I wasn't going to let myself do the same. You deserve a second change."

Calypso turned sad eyes to him. "Leo, you don't understand. Once you're here, you can never return to the real world. You'll be stuck with me forever."

She looked sorrowful at this, and Leo couldn't help but be hurt by this.

"I thought you wanted to be freed…"

"Leo, I _do_ want to be freed, but I didn't want you to do something like this! You understand that the gods won't allow you to leave, right?"

Leo shook his head. "Wrong again," he smiled, "The gods gave me permission to free you. I'm your ticket back to the real world."

Calypso looked at him as if he'd grown an extra head. "_What?_"

Leo laughed, a rich, full laugh, one that got Calypso's heart to flutter. "After the war, the gods gave us all a gift. I asked for permission to come and free you."

"I—"

"I'm here with the Blessing of the Council of Olympus and the permission of Poseidon himself," he interrupted.

Calypso stared at him in shock. Then tears began to fill her eyes again. "But why?" she whispered.

Leo looked her square in the eye. She was in jeans and a normal t-shirt. Her hair was let loose, and it was blowing in his face. Hesitantly, he reached his hand outward to hers. He didn't know how she would respond, but so far, she hadn't smacked him away yet. He grasped her hand and laced their fingers together.

"I could never forget you, Calypso," he said softly. Her brown eyes reflected his honesty.

She shook her head again. "But no hero ever finds Calypso twice. How?"

Leo smiled hesitantly. "Odysseus wanted to find you again, you know."

She was dumbfounded at this. "What do you mean?"

"Uh, yeah… He invented a new navigation device… It was the last thing he made before he died. I found it in Bologna and added the one thing missing to find you again."

Calypso laughed. "But _why _Leo? You're a hero who will be remembered forever. You could have any woman in the world. Why would you return to my cursed island?"

"Because I don't want anyone else," he responded truthfully, "I couldn't, after I met you."

"But—"

"No other woman I've ever met is feisty and willing to work as hard as you. Calypso, even when I was fighting the giants in Marathon, I couldn't stop thinking about you. You're amazing."

He stared at her with passion and intensity. Calypso was slightly taken aback by his expression. No one had ever looked at her with such interest before. She found herself leaning into him again. "Thank you," she whispered.

"It is my destiny," Leo muttered against her lips before claiming them with his own.

"You didn't have to do this."

"Yes, I did. It's not possible for me to turn my back on those I care about, Calypso."

Calypso laughed, but she almost sounded bitter. "Thank you, Leo," she said, "you're the first hero who didn't forget you. It means the world to me."

"Calypso," Leo said forcefully, "_no_ one forgets you. Trust me, I would know."

Calypso shook her head. "Leo, no one has ever thought of me again after they've left me. It's never happened. You're special."

She ruffled his fair with a fond expression. "You're my little soldier."

Leo's face turned bright red, but he forced himself to regain control over his thoughts.

"Are you ready to leave Ogygia?"

"Leo, you just arrived. Let's at least eat first."

Leo's stomach grumbled, causing him to blush again and Calypso to crack up.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," he agreed in embarrassment.

Calypso laughed all over again.

* * *

"Hey," a voice behind him said.

Nico turned to see her just as Reyna came to stand next to him.

"You should be asleep," he remarked. And in truth, she should have been. It was pitch black, almost midnight.

"So should you," she shot back, a hint of a smile at the corners of her lips.

Nico just shook his head.

"So why are you up?" Reyna asked.

Nico gazed ahead. It was the middle of the night, and the two of them, the Prince of the Underworld and the Daughter of War, were standing on Half-Blood Hill, next to Thalia's tree, looking at the world beyond them.

The gods had already purchased the surrounding land for Fort Olympus, and the magic boundaries had moved to their new locations.

He didn't know how to answer Reyna's question without sounding like a coward. After another minute of contemplation, he decided to go with honesty. If he was going to be working with these people for years to come now and become their patron, he might as well start by taking them into his confidence.

"Nightmares," he said simply. There was no emotion in his voice. He said it as though one might remark about the sky being blue.

Reyna nodded. "About Tartarus?"

Nico's appearance of strength finally collapsed at this as he flinched.

Slowly, he turned to her. "Why do you ask?" He asked, guardedly.

Reyna raised her eyebrow at him. Her hair was draped over her shoulders, and she had a bathrobe over her. For once, she didn't look ready to jump into battle; she looked like an average sixteen year old, as average as a demigod and praetor of New Rome can be, anyway.

"I thought we all agreed to trust each other," she said.

Nico had his usual black t-shirt, but he had forgone his normal black jeans for an almost human look with dark blue sweatpants.

At her comment, he laughed without mirth. "Reyna, there are some secrets that only the Son of Death can bear."

"First of all," she shot back, "you're _not_ the Son of Death. Last I checked, Thanatos was the god of Death, not Pluto."

Nico turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

"Why the sudden companionship?"

"Sudden?"

He smiled wryly. "I seem to remember that you weren't exactly the most welcoming whenever I would stop by Camp Jupiter."

"Are we seriously going to do this again?" She was exasperated.

"Fine, I'll stop."

Nico kept gazing over the hill, towards the mortal world. Then he pivoted around to overlook Camp Half-Blood.

"Yeah," he said finally. "It was about Tartarus."

Reyna knew that he had tried to hide it, but his voice broke a bit at the word of Hell itself. But she knew not to pity him. They were both leaders, one welcome and the other unwelcome, but she knew that he would appreciate pity and sympathy just as much as she would.

"How did you survive it?" She asked.

Nico turned to her with an emotionless visage, but she could see the guarded look in his eyes. He was still under the impression that he had to protect himself by himself. She couldn't help but feel remorseful for that fact. She knew that she had played a big part of that self-image he had now with how much she had alienated him whenever he would visit Camp Jupiter. She knew the past could not be changed, but now, they had the future in their hands. And they could definitely shape their own future, Fates or no.

"You don't have to suffer by yourself, you know," she said softly. "Percy and Annabeth went through there, too. Maybe you should talk to one of them."

Nico snorted. "And why, pray tell, Reyna, would I ever talk go to the love birds for comfort or empathy?"

"Why not?" She shot back.

Nico looked at her, and she finally saw the true pain of the situation in his eyes. "Reyna, I don't know what they saw in there, but they saw the censored version."

He continued before she could interrupt at the insult to her friends. "I'm not trying to diminish their greatness or their strength. I admire them just as much as anyone else, but you have to understand that the true form of Tartarus cannot be seen without eternal death by a mortal's eyes, including demigod's…"

Reyna's eyes slightly widened.

"Unless they're a child of the Underworld," he finished. "Tartarus is too horrible a place for a human's eyes to understand upon sight. It's like the Mist. Mortals wouldn't be able to comprehend what they're seeing if they ever had to come across monsters or gods, so the Mist gives them something that distorts their version of reality."

"But there's always those select few with perfect vision," she continued for him.

He nodded, and his eyes suddenly had the look of a deer in headlights.

She seemed to get it now: Why he was so unwilling to share. Unless Percy and Annabeth had been near death in Tartarus, they would have seen a "Mist"-ed version of Tartarus. But since Nico was a Child of the Underworld, he was clear sighted in Hell. He had seen Tartarus in all its horror and glory.

"What was it like?" She asked subconsciously.

Nico looked at with a worried expression.

"Nico, _you're_ the one who went through Hell. You shouldn't be worried about _me_!"

Nico continued to look at her, pained. "Do you really want to know?"

She hesitated for a minute, then nodded.

Nico turned back towards the camp. "The entire place is the god Tartarus himself. The air is acid, the Underworld Rivers are his blood, the monsters are his blood cells."

Nico began to shake, and his voice began to break.

"The air you breathe is the acid formed from all the rivers merging in his body. He's asleep… But his dreams are all the obstacles he throws at you. He hates intruders; he makes it impossible for people to leave. He tries his hardest to kill you if he's having a good dream…"

Nico stopped himself.

"And if he's having a bad dream?" She prompted. She was hiding her terror well, and she knew it. Her face was blank, she showed no emotion, and she somehow had her control over her movements still.

Nico looked at her, and she saw that his pupils were fully dilated. He was terrified. "If he's having a bad dream," he whispered, "he finds your worst fears, and he throws them against you. He tortures you by hitting you where it hurts most. He breaks you apart from the inside. And then he tries to kill you."

Reyna was shocked. Even by primordial standards, this was inhumane and cruel.

"Do they know?" She asked softly.

"Who?"

"Percy and Annabeth. Do they know what it's actually like?"

Nico turned away, but Reyna saw that his eyes looked like broken glass. Percy had described him as looking like that when they had saved him from the twin giants' jar in Rome, but she hadn't understood at the time. Now, though, looking at him as he struggled to keep his composure together, she did understand. She understood what it truly meant to look upon a 'broken' person. All of a sudden, at that moment, Reyna knew for a fact that she had never met a braver person before in her entire life, not Jason, and not even Percy.

"I don't know," Nico answered in the end. "I never asked them what they saw. Those types of memories aren't exactly something anyone wants to relive."

Reyna looked down in embarrassment. "Sorry," she said.

"No, don't. You didn't know before."

Reyna hesitantly reached for his hand, interlacing their fingers. Nico stiffened for a minute but squeezed her hand.

"Why didn't you tell us that day when we asked you?"

"I didn't want to scare you guys any more than you already were. I couldn't do that so quickly."

Reyna moved closer to him and pulled him into a hug. Nico was shocked, and his eyes widened in response. It was well known that he disliked physical affection or any physical interaction. But he found himself enjoying the warmth of having another person next to him. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around Reyna, pulling her into him. It was nice to not have to suffer by himself for once. He noticed that her hair smelled like the morning dew, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the comfort of one who, at least seemed to, care about him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into his chest. "I never knew…"

"You couldn't have known," he said into her ear. "I never told anyone, and I don't think Percy and Annabeth knew what I had gone through, either."

Reyna pulled back, and Nico pulled let her go, his arms dropping to his side. He was suddenly self-conscious again. Reyna grabbed his hand again. "You're a lot stronger than people give you credit for," she said to the wind.

"So I've heard," Nico remarked dryly.

Reyna giggled at this. This action surprised Nico so much that he chuckled, too. Who knew that the, stoic praetor of New Rome would be giggling at midnight looking over what was once her enemy's stronghold.

"I admire you, Nico," she said sincerely, turning to him. "I'm glad you consider you my friend. And I'm glad that you were my patron this past year, and continue to be my patron and be by my side today."

Nico was taken aback at her statements. He nodded, not trusting himself to say anything in response.

After a moment passed, he turned back to her, "So why did you get up at the middle of the night?"

Reyna didn't respond for a moment and kept her gaze towards the camp.

Then, she sighed in dejection. "I couldn't sleep," she admitted.

"Why?"

She glared at the horizon, almost wishing that everything would go up in flames.

"We're supposed to be starting a new beginning," she said in frustration, "but then, Octavian had to go and fuck it up!"

Nico raised his eyebrow at her outburst, half amused at her choice of language and half saddened at the reality of the situation they were facing.

"You couldn't do anything to stop him."

"That's not what makes me mad," she said in anger. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you," she backtracked.

Nico shook his head, "It's okay. So what does make you mad?"

"We're supposed to be looking towards a new future of peace, but Octavian just had to destroy any semblance of it being peaceful when he attacked Percy. Why couldn't he let his stupidity and resentment hold for a while? And now, because of him, we have to start our 'new beginning' at Fort Olympus with blood on our hands. Seriously, what sort of precedent does this set? And not only does it have to be blood, it has to be a member of the Council of Demigods. Why? What sort of precedent does this set for the future? We're supposed to becoming together here, not living in a tenuous peace."

Nico didn't say anything. He had no answer. "At least we won't have to deal with his treachery and word power anymore," he said.

Reyna kept glaring at everything in front of her. "I just hate that this happened. And now, I have to find a Roman son of Apollo who has the gift of prophecy to take his post. And I need to find someone to take over the First Cohort."

"You know," Nico interrupted, "the Twelfth Legion Fulminta won't exist after noon today when the gods create Fort Olympus. If you want, you can just wait until then to take care of Octavian."

Reyna turned to him in question. "What do you mean?"

"Well, when the Council takes over, the Senate won't exist anymore, so you won't have to worry about filling Octavian's position on the Senate—"

"But Octavian's a member of the Council," Reyna reminded him.

"Yes, but he's a nonvoting advisor. If you want, you can just name someone else to temporarily work as the Augur of Apollo, meaning that the seat would still be occupied until you find a Roman son of Apollo with the gift of prophecy."

Reyna seemed to consider this. "What about his position as senior centurion of the First Cohort?"

"You've been filling it these past few days, anyway, just keep doing it until noon, and then, when the legion and Camp Half-Blood merge as one entity at noon, there won't be a need to appoint a new centurion because the legion won't exist anymore."

"But even if the Council judges Octavian, that just means that our first action to develop peace was to kill someone."

"It's better than the last action of the Senate being to kill someone. At least we will be doing it to assure the peace. If the Senate does it, history might interpret it as a last move by Rome to avoid peace."

Reyna looked at Nico in appraisal. "No wonder Minerva gave you her blessing. You really are a mad genius when it comes to political games and strategy."

Nico grinned at her. "At your service, milady."

The two of them laughed.

In the silence of the night, they just enjoyed each other's presence.

Suddenly, Nico chuckled. Reyna turned to him, intrigued. "What's so funny?"

Nico just laughed harder. "Well, a sixteen year-old male and female meeting up in the middle of the night. If we both weren't sworn to chastity, this wouldn't exactly be the most proper of situations."

Reyna rolled her eyes, but her cheeks were tinged with pink. "Boys," she muttered under her breath.

Nico just chuckled more before lying on his back, staring up at the stars. "You couldn't live without us," he said playfully.

In response, Reyna merely punched him in the gut. Nico doubled over and screamed in pain.

"Sure about that?" she asked with a straight face, but her eyes betrayed her mischief. "The Huntresses of Artemis don't seem to have a problem doing so."

Nico laughed in response before spreading out over the grass once again.

Reyna smiled, content with the world around her for the first time in a long time, before lying down next to Nico.

"Thanks, Nico," she said softly.

Nico looked down at her. She had snuggled into him so that their sides were flushed together.

He smiled. "No, Reyna. Thank _you._"

Reyna smiled up at him.

The two friends enjoyed the views of the night for a bit longer before returning to their cabins for the night.

* * *

Annabeth was frantically working at her drawing table. The designs and plans had been finalized yesterday, but she was still making last minute revisions. Everything about Fort Olympus and New Rome had to be perfect.

"Annabeth," Percy whined next to her, "It's fine! Why are you so worried."

"It can't just be fine, Percy," she snapped back, "It has to be _perfect._"

Percy camp up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her cheek from behind her, and she stiffened, enjoying herself far more than she would admit.

"Annabeth, it's already perfect," he whispered into her ear.

She turned in his grip to glare at him, but her anger melted away at the sight of his sea green eyes and usual disheveled hair.

"And how do you know that?" She asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

"Because I know _you_. You've put everything you've had into this. There's nothing else you have to do."

Percy had been discharged from the infirmary just yesterday, and he had been dying to spend time with his girlfriend. But Annabeth had spent so much time at his side while he was being treated that she had neglected her plans. And the gods were going to be here any minute to transform Camp Half-Blood into Fort Olympus. She couldn't help her slightly obsessive, compulsive nature to make sure that every detail was fine-tuned and ready.

Someone behind them coughed. The two beloveds broke from their embrace to see the Goddess of Wisdom herself standing at the door to the drawing room of the Big House. Minerva (she had assumed her Roman form, for whatever reason) had an unreadable expression.

"Am I interrupting? I can return later," her tone was emotionless, so Annabeth couldn't tell if her mother was mad at them or not.

"No, no," Percy coughed, "Uh, sorry, Lady Minerva. We were just getting ready to present the final draft of the plans for Fort Olympus."

Annabeth elbowed him. "Uh, yeah, mom. I'm done with them."

"Are you sure have finished everything you want?"

Annabeth nodded to Minerva.

The goddess held out her hand, and Annabeth placed the scroll of parchment with the plans in it.

Nodding to the two, Minerva left the room.

Annabeth turned to Percy. Percy was sweating, and his face was curled into an expression of fear.

Annabeth laughed. "Oh, calm down, Seaweed Brain," she smirked. "She's not going to kill you."

"That's just what she wants you to think," he muttered. Ananbeth punched his arm.

"Ow!" he pouted. Annabeth smirked at him.

* * *

"My Lady," Nico was kneeling before Minerva. The Council of Demigods, minus Nico, had taken their seats on the stage of the amphitheater. The Senior Council of Camp Half-Blood, Roman Senate, Lupa, and Chiron were in the stands.

"You may rise, my champion," Minerva said, with the tone of an order.

Nico stood before the Third Queen of Eternal Rome. Minerva nodded at him, and Nico returned to his seat.

"Demigod leaders," Minerva addressed everyone. "You all know why I am here today."

Most of the people in the stands looked at each other in confusion.

"I am here today as the Regent of the Council of Olympus," Minerva sounded annoyed at the lack of memory in some of the demigods before her, " I am here to bring forth Fort Olympus onto this Earth, the new safe haven for all demigods."

No one spoke, but realization dawned onto their faces.

Minerva continued, "The Council of Gods, the Council of Demigods, and your teachers have all approved the plans. I am informed that the Senate of New Rome and the Senior Council of Camp Half-Blood are also in approval?"

There was grumbling among those assembled, but there was general assent.

Minerva put up the designs for everyone to see. "If anyone has any objections," she interrupted their trains of thought, "speak now or forever be silent."

No one said anything.

Minerva nodded at the Council of Demigods.

"If there are no objections, you all have exactly fifteen minutes to get all of the demigods either into this amphitheater or the Big House. Every other part of the camp will be redone. In order to prevent any potential injury or harm in this reorganization and expansion, all demigods are asked to stay in one of these two locations for an hour as the camp is transformed."

The Senate, Senior Council, and Demigod Council all left the arena to do their duty.

Only Nico stayed behind.

After everyone but Nico left, Minerva changed into her Greek form.

Athena smiled at him. "I can read your thoughts, you know."

Nico flinched. "Sorry, My Lady!"

"You are my Champion, Nico di Angelo," she reassured, "I will not harm you. You are entitled to your own opinion; in fact, I expect you to have your own opinion as I chose you as my champion."

Nico blushed.

"You are right to fear me in my Roman form," she continued. "Most do. It is why the Romans didn't import me so easily."

"They resented you for making them lose in the Trojan War and for protecting Greece for so long."

Athena nodded. "My stepmother, Hera, was the Patron of Greece as a whole, but I was the symbol of Greek military power. I led the Greek armies in the Trojan War to victory with my interventions and teachings of their leaders. And when Rome tried to conquer Greece, they didn't forget this fact."

"They resented you," Nico guessed, and Athena nodded. "They didn't like the fact that you kept Greece from being conquered by them. They were used to defeating everyone in their path without any problems or any real challenge. But when they got to Greece, they faced an enemy worth their time for once. And it was because you were in charge."

Athena looked at Nico appraisingly. "You know your history, Nico di Angelo; I am happy."

Nico's face turned even redder at this compliment from the goddess of wisdom.

"The Romans tried to turn me into their native Etruscan goddess of wisdom, Menrva. She was tame and was not a goddess of war. She stayed out of most battles. But I am Athena, and my nature is to fight when people try to conquer me."

"So when they tried to make you tamer, you fought back, and eventually you became the Patron of Eternal Rome after they made you part of the Capitoline Triad. You took on even more power as Minerva than you had as Athena because you had influence over a whole empire instead of just a city-state now."

Athena smiled wryly. "I was never just the patron of Athens, Nico. Athens was just my most favored city, but I was protector of all of Greece. Like I said, I was the symbol of Greek military power, and until the Romans managed to steal the Athena Parthenos, they were not able to conquer Greece."

"They literally had to steal the symbol of Greek power. They had to take away your influence before they could take Greece."

Athena nodded.

"But why did you protect Rome after all they did to you?" Nico's question came out harsher than he intended it to have.

Athena looked at him impassively. "I am a goddess, Nico. I help those who need me. I exist to protect those who ask for it. My sole duty is to the people who worship me. And as much as the Romans would like to believe that they didn't need me as a goddess of war, they wouldn't have had their greatest military victories without me. They needed my leadership or else they wouldn't have the legacy that they do. They sacrificed to me before every fight they would engage in so that I would give them the wisdom to win the battle. If they viewed me correctly, in my Greek form, I served them. If they didn't, well, I'm still a goddess."

Nico shuddered at her ominous tone at the end. "So why did the Roman demigods treat you like this for so long?"

"It's a combination of Rome unlawfully sacking Athens and resentment at the Byzantine Empire," the goddess answered simply.

"By stealing the Athena Parthenos," Nico guessed, "the Romans changed it from being a symbol of Greek military power to one of Roman military power."

Athena nodded. "They changed me from _Athena Promachos_ to _Minerva Bellipotens_. The same thing, really; they were just too hubristic to admit that they needed the help of the goddess who had fought against them for so long."

"But how does the Byzantine Empire have to do anything with this? Wasn't it Christian?"

Athena snorted. "So what? There are people who have always and will always follow the ancient ways, the ways of the gods."

Nico didn't have anything to say to that.

"Nico, the eastern half of the Roman Empire was always more Greek than Roman. When Rome fell in 455 AD to the Barbarians, the center of the west, ironically, moved east. The gods went back to Greece, we went back to the original Mount Olympus. The Romans hated the fact that they had lost to Greece so many times. They had lost in the Trojan War, they had lost battles against Greece for a thousand years, and then finally, it was the Greek half of the empire that survived the test of time, _not_ the Roman. It was pretty much the biggest insult to the Romans."

"And you once again became the protector of the Greek peoples," Nico guessed.

Athena nodded. "When we went back to Greece, the capital had shifted from Athens to Constantinople, but we were still very much Greek. We took on our Greek forms all over again. And I was returned to my original mantle, this time by the full choice and support of the people instead of out of necessity as the Romans did."

Nico looked at the goddess in amazement. "Well isn't that a soap opera," he commented dryly.

Athena burst into laughter. "You're telling me," she responded.

"That was the first civil war between Greek and Roman demigods, wasn't it?" Nico asked after a minute of silence. "Emperor Justinian's invasions of the old Roman lands to reunite the old empire was the first clash between Greek and Roman demigods, right?"

Athena nodded. "The Greek demigods had attacked their Roman counterparts, and feeling the need to reunite the empire, Justinian followed their example. It was also the last time that the Greek demigods win in a civil war with the Romans."

"But didn't Justinian win?"

"Oh, he won, alright. He almost got the Byzantine Empire to cover the full area of the former Roman Empire, but he failed in the end to achieve his goal, and the reason for that is that the Roman demigods attacked with a new vigor. The Greeks were pushed back to the east, and the Romans won. And at the same time, Justinian's new unified empire fell apart after a few decades, and the west returned to its diseased self."

"Lady Athena, not to say that history isn't fascinating, but why are you telling me this no?"

Athena raised her eyebrow at him. "I would imagine you would know. Why do we study the past, Nico?"

"So we don't make the same mistakes in the future."

"Correct. So why would I be telling you about our past as a Western Civilization?"

"So that I don't make the same mistake when the Council of Demigods takes over today."

Athena nodded. "Very astute, my Champion. Now come, take your seat. The demigods return."

* * *

After everyone had taken their protection in the Big House or the amphitheater, Athena flicked her wrist. Around them, in front of their very eyes, Camp Half-Blood changed into Fort Olympus.

Forty-foot-tall walls rose around the periphery of the fort with battlements adorning the top every twenty feet. There were reinforced gates every twenty feet, giving ease of access into and out of the fort.

The eastern half of the beach became a full naval yard. Dry docks appeared magically on the sand, and a harbor was built up. Piers were prepared as well as docking points. Fort Olympus was ready to host a full navy. There were docking points to accommodate every type of ship, from Ancient Greek triremes to modern-day aircraft carriers. The western half of the beach stayed the same for existing Camp Half-Blood traditions.

The Big House was expanded to facilitate a larger infirmary. The Council House came up out of the ground right next to the Big House. It was made of pure marble with gold leafing telling the stories of heroes past, from the greats Perseus, Son of Zeus, to the stories of heroes today, the greats of Perseus, Son of Poseidon. The building was domed, and marble columns supported the roof.

Behind the Council House and Big House was the city. It had a similar layout to New Rome, but it was much larger to accommodate all Greco-Roman demigods.

Four temples came into being on Half-Blood Hill, all with traditional Greco-Roman architecture and made of pure marble. Thalia's tree was in the middle of all four temples, and a hearth had appeared next to it with an eight-year-old girl tending the flames of the Sacred Hearth. The largest (and most ornate) temple was for the sixteen gods of the Olympian Council, and the other three were for all of the other gods.

The cabins had been changed. No longer were the main twelve in a U formation at the center. All of the cabins had moved to face the Big House, with rows of five. They were all expanded to be the same size, and the façade of each patron god was removed. They were uniform. Once the twenty existing cabins formed the first four rows, five more rose from the ground to form the final row behind them. Each cabin was prepared to host seventy demigods.

The existing mess hall was expanded to accommodate 1,500 people if necessary, and the amphitheater expanded. Opposite the amphitheater, on the other side of the field for war games (an empty and closed off area of twelve acres), a Roman Coliseum rose from the ground, undamaged and made of pure marble.

When the fort was finished, everyone looked around in wonder. It was magnificent!

"Uh, mom," Annabeth asked uncertainly, "are the walls necessary?"

Athena turned to her daughter with a raised eyebrow. "It is up to the Council of Demigods whether they wish to keep the walls or not. The Council of Gods had asked me to put them up, but if you decide that it is unnecessary, then they will be removed."

"Are the magical boundaries still working?" Thalia asked the goddess.

Athena nodded. "Fort Olympus has taken on the blessing you gave Camp Half-Blood, Thalia Grace."

"I say we leave them be for now," Reyna said. "It makes no difference, and I'm sure if they become a problem, we can ask the gods to take them away later."

There was a murmur of agreement among everyone gathered.

"Anything else?" Athena asked the demigods at large.

No one said anything.

"Then it is done," Athena proclaimed. "As of right now, Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter are dissolved for good. All Greek and Roman demigods will find their way to Fort Olympus. Fort Olympus has absolved all of the resources, fields, people, duties, and roles of the predecessors. The Council of Demigods will take on the role of the prior Camp Half-Blood Senior Council and Senate of New Rome. The Council of Demigods will have ten permanent voting members, two nonvoting permanent advisees reserved for the Oracle of Delphi and the Augur of Apollo, and ten members elected by the population of Fort Olympus every year on the day before the Summer Solstice. Until the elections at the next summer solstice, the permanent members will serve as a full Council. The will of the Council of Demigods is law for all demigods. Any motion to pass the Council of Demigods requires a simple majority of all of the voting members as well as a simple majority of all of the permanent voting members. I take leave of you and return to Olympus. Good luck, demigods. The world depends on you. Do not forget your duty."

With that, Athena vanished in a flash of light.

Just as one light vanished, another flashed in. Over one of the last unclaimed Roman demigods shone a lyre made of pure sunlight.

"I believe," Reyna announced, "that we have our new Augur of Apollo."

"Come forward," Frank ordered, "Augur of Apollo."

The child who couldn't be more than fifteen lumbered down the amphitheater to the Council of Demigods assembled at the front. He stood there awkwardly as the nine assembled members and Chiron and Lupa looked at him with calculating looks.

"What is your name, child?" Chiron asked gently.

"Ryan Tae," he barely whispered.

"Ryan Tae, Son of Apollo," Reyna announced, "do you have the gift of prophecy?"

"He does," a voice from the stands announced.

Everyone turned to watch Rachel Dare, Oracle of Delphi, come down the stairs to join the council at the front.

"He is destined to take the place of Octavian Abehu as the Augur of Apollo. I support this as the Oracle of Delphi, Speaker of the Prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, Seer of Fate, and Giver of the Past, Present, and Future."

Rachel watched the Council with no emotion.

"So be it," Reyna announced finally. "Ryan Tae, do you accept this mantle and responsibility as the Augur of Apollo?"

Ryan clenched his hands into fists and looked at the Council with a determined expression. "I accept."

"Then go to the Temple of Apollo and receive his blessing," Reyna ordered.

Ryan pivoted towards Half-Blood Hill and marched over.

"That leaves the final business of the Council of Demigods today," Thalia announced.

All of the demigods from both former camps watched in fascination at their new leaders.

"We must elect a leader of the Council and deal with the issue of Octavian Abehu's treachery, a duty passed on to us by the former Senate of New Rome."

"I nominate Annabeth," Nico said.

Annabeth's eyes widened.

"I second the nomination," announced Piper, Hazel, and Frank.

"All in favor?" Thalia called.

All of the nine assembled members except for Annabeth raised their hands.

"Ananbeth Chase," Chiron announced, "you shall be the Marshall of Fort Olympus until the Summer Solstice when full elections shall take place."

Annabeth nodded.

"What does the Council wish to do about Octavian Abehu's treachery?" Lupa asked.

"We have discussed this prior to today, Lupa," Annabeth said. "We will wait until Councilmember Leo Valdez returns from his journey. Until then, he is to remain in the custody of Fort Olympus."

"It shall be so," Lupa said. "Chiron and I will retire to our training grounds. The satyrs have already begun bringing demigods from around the world. We will leave the Council to its devices now. Thank you."

With that, Chiron and Lupa left the amphitheater, and all the demigods in the stands weren't far behind them.

Soon, it was just the Council of Demigods in the amphitheater once again.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Hope it was decent! Let me know what you guys think in a review! :)

**Review Replies**:

The Son Of Hades123: (Chapter 2) Haha, yeah I've noticed that, too. I kind of like it, to be honest!

TheGoddessIsAlive: (Chapter 2) Thank you so much for your kind words! :)

TheGoddessIsAlive: (Chapter 3) Thank you for your kind words! :D I'm looking forward to exploring Leo more haha.

smeagol26: (Chapter 3) I disagree. Percy doesn't even acknowledge Hestia's existence until _The Last Olympian_, and that, too, only because he has no choice. Nico, however, despite all his hardships and tribulations, willingly serves the gods and tries to work with Hestia. At least in my eyes, it makes more sense to make Nico the Champion of Hestia. And I've already explained why I made him the Champion of two gods.


	5. Chapter 5: Information

**Author's Note**: Hello again! This chapter is a lot of buildup and stuff. But I think you guys will be intrigued with how I ended it! This chapter is closer to the length of the first chapter, so it is a big of a long one!

As always, please leave a review telling me what you think! :)

**Disclaimer: **_Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ and _The Heroes of Olympians_ and all things related are property of Rick Riordan and Disney Hyperion. I am not making any profit off of this work in any way, shape, or form.

Fort Olympus

* * *

**Chapter 5: Information**

* * *

"Finally," Leo whispered. Calypso tensed next to him.

They had spent four days at sea, returning from Ogygia. Now, after four grueling days, he could see the familiar beach of Camp Half-Blood. It was completely different from what he was used to, but no matter what, it would be his only home. The _Argo II_ pulled into one of the piers. Leo had sent a signal before them to alert Camp Half-Blood of their return. On the pier, he could see the Council of Demigods assembled as well as many of the other demigods. Even Chiron and Lupa had taken a break from training to welcome you home.

He took Calypso's hand, and the two descended the ship and approached the Council.

"Welcome home, Councilor Valdez," Annabeth pronounced. "Welcome to the mortal realm, goddess Calypso."

Leo noticed that all of the Council betrayed no emotions.

"We have much to discuss and review," Thalia said. "Will Solace," she called.

The Son of Apollo and master trainer of archery at Fort Olympus stepped forward.

"May I help you, Councilor Thalia?"

"Please escort Lady Calypso to the Big House to rest. Now that Councilor Valdez had returned from his journey, we will be addressing the problem of Octavian Abehu as well as have a debriefing of the councilor's travels."

Will nodded. "As you wish."

Leo pushed Calypso towards Will; he didn't know what Thalia meant when she talked about Octavian as a 'problem', but he could tell it was important and needed his attention. "Go. I'll come find you later and give you a tour. I promise."

Calypso nodded at him and followed Will.

"Citizens of Fort Olympus," Annabeth announced, "return to your duties. The Council will be meeting to discuss the matters at hand as well as the problems brought before us. As always, any who wish to join us are welcome. We will convene in the Council House in fifteen minutes."

People scattered off, soon it was just Thalia and Leo left on the beach.

"What did Annabeth mean about Octavian?"

Thalia had a pained expression on her face. "A lot happened after you left," she said sadly. "Octavian attacked Percy during the friendly game of Capture the Flag."

Leo's eyes widened. "No way!"

Thalia just nodded sadly at him and proceeded to tell him the full story.

"So we have to figure out what we're going to do with Octavian today, now that you're back," she finished.

Leo just nodded, a part of him felt sad that they had to deal with such a horrible issue in their beginning, but the other part wanted to make Octavian pay for attacking his brother.

"What else happened?" He quickly changed the subject.

"Not much," Thalia admitted. "We've still been trying to figure everything out and get things together. So far, thankfully, we haven't had any attacks or heard of anything. But we're going to be talking about what to do with Camp Jupiter and the three other Olympian strongholds."

"What?"

"You'll find out in the Council," Thalia said. "Anyway, it's good to have you back, Leo."

"It's good to be back."

"I'm sorry we didn't get off on the right foot when we met for the first time back in Nebraska. Start over?" Thalia asked.

Leo chuckled. "Sure. Hello, I'm Leo Valdez, Son of Hephaestus. Pleased to meet you." He held out his hand mockingly.

Thalia smirked at him. "And I'm Thalia Grace, Daughter of Zeus. And the pleasure is all mine, Leo Valdez." She shook his hand firmly before pulling him into a hug.

"Good luck," she whispered.

* * *

The Council House was filled to the brim, and Jason was positive that everyone in Fort Olympus had come to witness the trial. Every seat in the stands was filled, on all four sides.

The House itself was absolutely magnificent. Annabeth had gone out of her way to please the gods and demigods. The entire structure was made of pure marble with gold leafing showing the journeys and tribulations of past great heroes. The dome was covered with paintings of the Second Titanomachy and Second Giantomachy. In total, the building could seat roughly 1,000 people in the stands (which were also made of pure marble), and balconies jutted out of the highest pier to accommodate more if necessary.

The entire building was fashioned somewhat like a Roman Coliseum, with the 'stage', where the Council of Demigods and those relevant to the necessary procedure sat, with the stands going upwards from the stage. The floor had twenty-two seats for the Councilors, all made of pure gold. A plaque on the top of each was enchanted to show the name of the sitting Councilor, and his/her godly parent's symbol.

The twenty-two chairs were arranged in a semicircle around a central table so that all of the Councilors could see each other. Four giant LED screens hung in a cube formation above the Council, showing the entire House the expressions of those gathered.

Right now, twelve of the twenty-two chairs were occupied. Rachel Dare was at one end, and the Greek Councilors sat in order from her before the Roman Councilors, ending with Ryan Tae at the end. Next to Rachel, in order, was Percy, Annabeth, Piper, Leo, and Thalia, who was right next to the Roman section, which was led off by Frank, Reyna, then Jason himself, Hazel, and finally Nico before Ryan. There had been some debate about balancing the Greek and Roman halves of the Council, but it was agreed in the end that since Nico had been born to both Hades and Pluto (Jason still didn't understand how that was possible, but he learned to ignore the questions), he would vote as a Roman and as a son of Pluto.

"My fellow Councilors and Demigods," Annabeth stood before them and addressed everyone assembled. "We are here today to discuss many issues with the return of Councilor Valdez. We will begin with the discussion of the Olympian strongholds. Councilor Zhang, if you please."

Annabeth took her seat after Frank bowed to her and stood up to address everyone. "Thank you all. First on the agenda for the Council of Demigods today is the issue of the Olympian strongholds. In America, there are four total locations that the Olympians have set aside for demigods. These, of course, are the following: Camp Jupiter and New Rome in San Francisco; the Wolf House in Sonoma County, California; the former Camp Half-Blood in New York; and the Temple of Athena in Nashville, what had once been offered to Chiron as a location where he could train Greek demigods. Collectively, these are known as the strongholds of Olympus, safe havens for Greco-Roman demigods and places that the gods have set aside for us in our times of need. However, since all Greco-Roman demigods have converged upon Fort Olympus, the other three locations are now unoccupied. The Council is here to debate the future of these other strongholds. We are willing to listen to the views of our fellow demigods if any have those which they wish to share."

Frank paused for a moment before returning to his seat.

"Thank you, Councilor Zhang," Annabeth said. "Before we launch into the discussion, it must be mentioned that the Council's has been presented with a challenge with these strongholds. They are all far from our home base of Fort Olympus, and they are difficult to defend without spreading our lines too thin. I personally suggest that the Council abandon these strongholds and focus on making Fort Olympus as strong as possible. I now open the topic for discussion to the Council. After all Council members have shared their thoughts and finished their debate; we will open the discussion to all of Fort Olympus."

Jason didn't know where they were all getting this formal talk, but on some level, he felt that he, at least, had always known. And he knew that Reyna was no stranger to addressing political gatherings, even if he wasn't always the most articulate in Senate meetings.

"Councilor Chase," Hazel said, "with all due respect, I must disagree with your assessment. Having demigod and Olympian strongholds all over the country gives us a chance to take control of our fate in case we have to make offensive maneuvers close to those locations."

"But why would we need to go on the offensive after all we've been through?" Thalia countered. "All of the enemies of Olympus have been defeated for a generation. It seems to me that we would be spreading our lines far too thin and be expending too much of our resources to keep all of these positions up and running when we're all based out of here."

Jason noticed out of the corner of his eye that Percy was trying—and miserably failing—to hide his boredom. He grinned at the son of Poseidon who smirked back.

"With all due respect, Councilor Grace," Reyna interrupted, "Five years ago, our predecessors were thinking the same thing, including the gods. They had thought that all of the enemies of Olympus had been destroyed forever. However, as the events of recent years have most clearly proven, that was not the case. I, for one, believe it in the interest of Fort Olympus to continue holding onto and upkeeping these strongholds, in case we will need them for future endeavors. Olympus' enemies might be defeated for now, but we have no way of ascertaining the future," Reyna warned.

"As an advisee of the Council," Rachel said, "and as the Oracle of Delphi, I advise the Council of Demigods to take Councilor Arellano's advice seriously. The future is impossible to predict perfectly, I say this as the protector of Apollo's legacy. I urge the Council of keep this fact in mind as they continue to deliberate and in their future vote."

Annabeth considered Rachel with an almost emotionless face, but having worked with her for so long, Jason knew that she was taking Rachel's words seriously.

"I don't think it matters," Percy blurted out. "Either way, we're all going to be here. Unless we're planning to send demigods to protect these other strongholds, why should we be worried about the future."

"The debate, then, Councilor Jackson," Nico said smoothly, "is should the Council be willing to send its troops out beyond their direct control and protection in order to upkeep and protect these strongholds. I, for one, believe it is in the best interest of demigods for all time to keep these strongholds as they are. In addition to serving as strategic advantages to us in the future, they will serve as safe havens for demigods who have not been able to make their way to Fort Olympus yet or who are on gods. It would help to provide them with another sense of security. And I'm sure the Council of Cloven Elders will appreciate having other places where their satyrs bringing home demigods could rest if necessary in their travels."

Jason realized at this point that only four Councilors had yet to share their thoughts: himself, Piper, Leo, Frank, and Ryan.

"As the Augur of Apollo," Ryan said, trying to sound brave, but as a leader of soldiers for many years now, Jason recognized the fear and timid tone of his voice instantly. "I advise the Council to consider the repercussions of what might happen if they leave these other Olympian strongholds at the mercy of the winds. Monsters will not let them survive much longer, should we abandon them. If we do not keep and hold them while we still have the chance, we may never have a chance to do so again."

"I ask the Council to consider the potential costs involved with keeping up these strongholds, though," Frank warned, "if we make the decision to keep them under our control, it will not be easy to maintain them from year to year. It will require a lot of attention from Fort Olympus, and it will also spread our lines thin."

After Frank finished, there was a minute of silence.

Annabeth finally broke the silence, "Councilors Grace, McLean, and Valdez, do you have any thoughts to share?"

The three of them just looked at Annabeth with no emotion. Jason honestly didn't care. He would probably vote yes just because he still had some sort of attachment to Camp Jupiter, but it didn't matter to him either way; he was on Percy's ship in this regard.

"As the Council no longer has any opinions to offer, the demigods assembled today are presented the opportunity to speak and help us in our decision. If you wish to speak, please come forward, state your name, parentage, affiliation to Greek or Roman, and state your claim."

Almost instantly, a line began to form.

Jason mentally groaned, and across from him, he saw Percy closing his eyes, trying not to fall asleep. The son of Jupiter quietly chuckled at this.

For the next hour, they heart opinions for and against keeping the other Olympian strongholds, but Jason had long tuned them out. Instead, he was daydreaming about taking a walk on the beach at night with Piper. They had done this once, back in spring before they had launched off the _Argo II_ to save the world. He missed the times like that, when he didn't have to be a politician. Instead, he could just be himself and enjoy the past, present, and not think about the future. He glanced over at Piper, but she was focused on the speaker. Jason tried to keep from rolling his eyes at this but failed. How could anyone find this jargon interesting? He just wanted to fall asleep right there. Looking at Percy and Leo, they weren't far off from doing just that.

He and the other sleepers were jolted back to reality when Annabeth finally spoke again.

"Thank you, fellow demigods," she said smoothly, "for your valuable opinions. I'm sure _all_ of the Council will take _all_ of your opinions into consideration as we move towards a solution."

At Annabeth's glare for having ignored most of the proceedings, Percy and Jason had the decency to look down in embarrassment.

"With all discussion out of the way, I call a vote on the matter. Councilor Dare, if you please." Annabeth addressed her friend.

"All in favor of continuing to upkeep and protect the other Olympian strongholds?" Rachel called.

"Roll call vote, if you wouldn't mind, Councilor Dare," Annabeth interrupted.

Rachel nodded and called out each Councilor's name in turn. "The question at hand is to support the upkeep and protection of the other three Olympian strongholds."

"Perseus Jackson."

"Yes."

"Annabeth Chase."

"No."

Percy looked at Annabeth in shock, but she just gave him a blank stare in response.

"Piper McLean."

"No."

"Leo Valdez."

"Yes."

"Thalia Grace."

"No."

"Frank Zhang."

"Yes."

"Reyna Arellano."

"Yes."

"Jason Grace."

"Yes."

"Hazel Levesque."

"Yes."

"Nico di Angelo."

"Yes."

"The motion passes 7-3-0," Rachel announced.

Both sighs of relief and groans of frustration could be heard all around the room at the announcement.

Jason was shocked and a bit miffed that Piper had voted against the motion. He made a mental note to ask her about it later.

Annabeth nodded at Rachel and quickly turned took center stage again to address everyone.

"The next issue on the agenda today has been brought forward to the Council's consideration by the Son of Hephaestus, Jake Mason. If you please, Jake," Annabeth looked expectantly as Jake descended the stairs and came to stand across from Annabeth.

She gave him a quick nod and took her seat once again. Jason had heard Jake's plan, and while he had found it intriguing, he had also found it a bit unnerving and ambitious, especially since they were just beginning out as Fort Olympus.

"Thank you, Councilors," Jake began. "I'm not going to pretend that I know how to talk all fancily like you all do, but I do want you to hear me out on my idea. Throughout history, every great nation has had an army, navy, and air force. Right now, Fort Olympus only has an army. However, the Hephaestus and Vulcan descendants suggest that we need to create the navy and air force. With the support of the Council and the resources necessary, with our father's blessing, within a month, we can equip Fort Olympus with an enviable navy and air force, at the command of the Council."

"And what would this entail?" Nico asked.

Jason knew that Nico know; Jake had told all of them his plan together the day before Leo had left for Ogygia. But Nico was doing this to tell everyone all the details of the plan. Jason still found it a little unnerving that the Vulcan children were so confident in their abilities to build such armaments in such short time.

"In addition to the existing _Argo II_, we propose to build three aircraft carriers fitted especially to serve both war planes as well as pegasi. We will also create nineteen additional triremes in the fashion of the _Argo II_, only much larger. We will build thirty destroyers-cum-frigates as well to complete the set. All of these ships will be able to serve both on the sea and in the sky, in the same fashion as the _Argo II_. If the Council is willing to support us further, the master plan we have developed includes positions for building a complete airfield in the city to accommodate an air force composed just of warplanes. However, this is farther off in the future."

Nico nodded.

"Are there any questions specifically for Jake Mason before we move into general discussion on the topic?" Annabeth called.

No one answered.

"Well then, thank you, Mr. Mason. You may return to your seat now. I now open to discussion amongst the Council of this proposition. My personal opinion is that we should support this endeavor as it will only enhance our capabilities. Previously, I had my doubts about it, but after we voted to keep the other strongholds under our control, I believe it is necessary that we expand into air and sea powers as well. If any of the Councilors have thoughts they wish to share, I welcome their views."

"I believe this is a great idea," Percy chimed in, actually sounding enthusiastic for the first time since the meeting began. "We all need to keep ourselves safe, and if we take on these new roles, these will be great assets as we move forward."

Jason suppressed a laugh at Annabeth's when-did-you-learn-how-to-use-such-big-words expression she had given her boyfriend.

"I agree that this is a great idea," Nico interrupted, "but I wonder who will be able to take command of these forces. The obvious answers are Councilors Grace, Grace, and Jackson, but they are always needed on here. And how would we man these forces? We need to be thinking of logistics here as well."

"I share Councilor di Angelo's concerns," Hazel added. "There is no doubt in my mind that these will be great assets to us, but if we intend to build them, how exactly will we be utilizing our forces to keep them running?"

Piper was nodded to herself. "I also agree with the concerns. When we sailed the _Argo II_, there was only one person who was able to run the whole ship, and that was Councilor Valdez. Assuming that each of these ships is made with the same machinery and schematics of our ship, it seems ridiculous to build a force when we don't have enough children of Hephaestus to run them. Unless Councilor Valdez or someone else can provide a solution to this." Piper looked expectantly at Leo, and everyone else seemed to be, too; Jason certainly was.

Leo looked uncomfortable at the attention but spoke, and for once, he didn't sound like a joker. He was actually able to talk to the occasion and keep formality.

"The schematics of the _Argo II_ were actually not that complicated. I could easily have shown you all how to run the ship, but since I was on it myself, I never felt the need to. Teaching others to run the logistical and mechanical aspects of each ship would not be the difficult part," Leo admitted. "I think we should be more worried about the time and resources required to build this force. Are we willing to spend the next two months pouring valuable assets, time, and money into building these ships?"

Leo looked at each Councilor in turn.

Jason felt the need to speak up. "I think the rewards outweigh the risks. Romans have never been fans of the sea, and they don't have any particular love for the sky, either. But we understand that sometimes risk need to be taken. And sometimes, we also need to step out of our comfort zone in order to achieve our goal. As long as Vulcan's descendants, and Councilor Valdez, can confirm that they will be able to teach the controls of these ships to the people working on them, I don't see a problem with it. Yes, we will be spending a lot on this project, but I truly believe that it will be worth it in the end."

"You speak with conviction, my brother," Thalia said, "I for one wonder at the resources that Fort Olympus will be pouring into a project as expansive as this when we are still trying to build up."

"I still believe this will help us to keep the other strongholds under our control," Percy interrupted.

"I tend to agree with Councilor Jackson," Frank said. "Each of these ships will provide any detachment we send out to protect these strongholds with extra protection in case something goes wrong. It will also give them an easy and quick way to contact Fort Olympus should something go awry and can even serve as a fast method of escape from affected areas."

The Council seemed to be teetering on complete acceptance after this, Jason noticed. He himself had no particular love for this plan, but he could see it working. It had potential, and like he'd said before, great rewards always came after great risks.

"If there are no more comments from the Council, the floor is now open for our fellow demigods to express their views on this topic," Annabeth announced.

This time, no one seemed interested in talking.

"As there are no more comments, I call a vote, Councilor Dare, if you please," Annabeth said.

"All in favor of accepting, funding, and supporting Jake Mason's proposal to build a navy-cum-air force for Fort Olympus?"

All of the Council raised their hands, but Jason noticed that Hazel and Thalia did so reluctantly.

"The motion passes 10-0-0," Rachel announced with finality.

"Thank you, Councilor Dare. The final action on the agenda for this session of the Council is the trial of Octavian Abehu," Annabeth finished with a stoic tone, but her eyes had turned into grey flames.

"Bring in the accused," Ryan announced.

From a door in the left, two guards in dressed in Imperial Gold armor and wielding spears and swords escorted a handcuffed Octavian between them to the front of the Councilors' table.

Ryan stood and addressed Octavian. "Octavian Abehu, former Augur of Apollo, you are charged with treason, insubordination, and attacking a praetor. As is due the right of any citizen of Rome and any human, you will have a chance to defend yourself before the Council determines your punishment."

Ryan took his seat, and everyone turned to Octavian.

Octavian turned to the Council. There was a hint of madness in his eyes, but otherwise, he seemed to be completely in control of his own actions and words. He gave a smirk towards those assembled.

"Let's not pretend that we don't all know how I will be judged," he said without emotion. "This Council will find me guilty of all charges, and I will be sentenced to death. I am prepared for it. But before the decision is made final, I want to remind the praetors of New Rome of their oaths and loyalties."

Frank, Jason, and Percy stiffened at this. Reyna kept her eyes on Octavian, betraying no opinions. The rest of the Council looked at Octavian with a mixture of disgust and hatred.

"To become praetor of New Rome, one must take an oath to defend the traditions, people, and legacy of Rome forever. And they must also swear that no matter the circumstance, he or she will never _ever_ turn and attack the men and women under his or her command. I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone present that only one praetor has stuck to her oath in this regards."

The three male praetors flinched at this. Reyna's eyes, if possible, grew colder.

"Percy Jackson took an oath upon his life to protect Rome that day in the Senate on his first day as praetor to fight alongside Rome if the Greeks had attacked. He did not keep his oath; instead, after the Greeks fired on New Rome, he turned and attacked the Romans under his command. Roman law allows that he should be put to death. However, he may no longer be touched due to his protection from the gods. This was not the end of his treachery, though. He attacked Roman centurions in Charleston and battered back Roman forces in the bay of Fort Sumter. He has committed treachery against Rome. He was never Roman to begin with, but he had promised to serve Rome. He failed to do so. He should no longer be holding the praetorship of Rome."

An uproar had begun at Octavian's words from the stands, but the Council was as emotionless as ever. Percy looked like he had been punched in the gut and sick. Jason looked at his friend in worry. He knew that Octavian spoke the truth, but they had done what had to be done. Annabeth continued staring at Octavian with no emotion. When the noise got too loud, she gave one short order. "Enough!"

The room immediately quieted down. "No one is to speak while Mr. Abehu gives his testimony. You are to remain quiet until finished. All citizens deserve a fair chance to defend themselves against any and all accusations. You will not interrupt again." Annabeth glared around the room, and Jason could feel everyone cowering under it. He knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of that glare; it was _not _fun.

"Continue please, Mr. Abehu."

Octavian gave a stiff nod at Annabeth before turning back to face the Council as a whole.

"But praetor Jackson was not the only praetor who betrayed his loyalties. I now address the treason of praetor Grace. We had voted him to take the mantle of our leadership exactly one year ago. He served well enough; however, he too betrayed his loyalties and oaths to protect his soldiers and New Rome. When the Greeks fired on New Rome, he did not fight with his brethren as he had sworn upon his life to do. He turned on us and sided with the Greeks. More than any other Roman leader, he knew firsthand the wrath of the Greeks. The wrongs done by Rome against Greece in the ancient days had created a rift that would cause the destruction of Rome for all time. He knew the risks. He knew that he should never attack Roman soldiers. But many times, he did so anyway. He, too, should not be holding the praetorship of Rome. Granted, he no longer is, but he should be exiled and sentenced for his crimes against Rome. However, as he, too, has the protection of the gods, this is not possible.

"I speak then to praetor Zhang. Perhaps the most intriguing story of all of our praetors of the last few years. He was barely a member of the legion before going on his first quest. To be fair, he did well. He worked well, and he maintained his Roman legacy and roots enough on his quest through the ancient lands, something praetor Grace was unable to do. However, he, too, has fired upon Romans and betrayed the trust of his people and soldiers. I detest the fact that none of these praetors are facing their true crimes, but the gods' will is not to be defied. So be it."

Octavian turned finally to Reyna. For once, he almost had a sympathetic expression, but there was still a cruel glint in his eyes. Jason looked at Reyna worried, but Reyna stared Octavian down with her world-famous poker face. He knew that her name meant 'Queen' in Spanish, and right now, with her back straight, hair down, and in the formal clothes of the Senate, she looked every bit a queen. Out of the corner of his eye, Jason noticed that Annabeth had also trained a worried expression on Reyna.

"In hopes of finding even limited sympathy, I address the one praetor of New Rome who had always kept her loyalties in line and stood behind Rome," Octavian addressed. "First of all, praetor Arellano, as your soldier, I thank you for your loyalty. You were the only one who remained loyal to Rome after all the other praetors went against Rome. You promised that you had not forgotten the insult of Greece against Rome. When we met the Oracle of Delphi and the Council of Cloven Elders, you reminded them that it was Greece who had declared war upon Rome, not the other way around. You kept true to your oath to your soldiers and Rome. You willingly shouldered a job that had been meant to be for two people. The other praetors had made many blunders, and then they ran off on their potentially fool's quest while you were left with a war on your hands. You led without fear or weakness through it all. I ask you, now, to ask yourself, who is really at fault here? You know the laws of Rome. You know the traditions of the military. You know the leadership of Rome better than anyone in the world. Bellona herself trained you. Yes, the law demands I die for my actions, but remember, praetor Arellano, that I was not the only one who had broken the laws. Perhaps your resentment at being left alone to rule is not misfounded."

Octavian finished with a raised eyebrow. "I ask you, again, praetor Arellano, do you accept the fact that you were left alone to shoulder a job and leadership meant for two people? Was it right of your fellow praetors to abandon you like that?"

Jason held his breath, and he could see Frank and Percy looked down at their laps depressed. All three of them had right to be ashamed. None of them had stayed true to their loyalties to Rome. Octavian was a horrible, power-hungry person, but he was right in this manner. Reyna should never have been shouldering the praetorship by herself for so long. He turned to look at Reyna.

As always, Reyna's expression was unreadable. She stared at Octavian without any inkling of emotion.

Annabeth watched Reyna intently. The worried expression on Annabeth's face wouldn't have been visible to anyone but her closest friends, and after having worked closely with Annabeth for almost a year now, Jason knew that she was deeply concerned for Reyna. Piper, too, was watching Reyna with worry. Jason wanted to run away from the Council House and hide in his bed, but he knew better than to do so.

A minute passed by in silence. A pin could have fallen in the room, and its contact with the ground would have reverberated around the whole House.

Finally, Annabeth turned back to Octavian, "Do you have anything else to say in your self-defense, Mr. Abehu?"

Octavian shook his head.

"Would any of the Council like to respond to what the accused has said?"

All of them turned instantaneously to Reyna, but the sole true praetor of New Rome continued to look at Octavian as if nothing had happened, saying nothing and betraying none of her own emotions.

Annabeth kept looking at Reyna for another minute, waiting for a reaction. Reyna turned to Annabeth with the same blank stare. Annabeth's eyes revealed her sadness for their friend, someone she had dearly learned to respect as a fellow Daughter of War.

"As there are no other comments in this trial, Councilor Tae, please call a verdict roll call," Annabeth announced.

Ryan looked like he was sweating with all the tension in the room.

"The verdict of Perseus Jackson."

There was a minute pause at Percy's name. Jason turned to look at his friend. Percy kept staring at his lap, not meeting anyone's eyes. Finally, he looked up, and the three male praetors exchanged a look. They all understood what they would do.

"Abstention," Percy called.

There was a collective gasp around the room at Percy's decision. No one could comprehend this consider the fact that _he_ had been attacked and mortally wounded by Octavian to have this trial happen in the first place. If Councilor should be asking for "guilty of all charges", it should have been him.

Ryan's voice quivered before calling the next name.

"Annabeth Chase."

"Abstention," Annabeth said smoothly. She was looking at Reyna again, but the praetor kept her eyes on Octavian.

"Piper McLean."

"Guilty of all charges," Piper said with complete conviction and venom in her voice.

"Leo Valdez."

"Guilty of all charges," Leo sounded sad as he gave his verdict.

"Thalia Grace."

"Guilty of all charges," Thalia sounded as though she was ready to rip Octavian apart with her bare hands. Jason flinched at his sister's tone.

"Frank Zhang."

Frank looked like a lost puppy, but Jason felt the same way. Octavian had taken a metaphorical knife and stabbed all three praetors with it when he had said (correctly) that they had all committed treason against New Rome.

With a deep breath, Frank said solemnly, "Abstention."

"Reyna Arellano."

"Guilty of all charges," Reyna said tonelessly.

"Jason Grace."

Jason looked at Reyna, both afraid and sad.

"Abstention."

"Hazel Levesque."

"Guilty of all charges."

"Nico di Angelo."

"Guilty of all charges."

Ryan banged his gavel. "With a 6-0-4 vote, the Council of Demigods finds Octavian Abehu guilty of all charges. According to the law, he will be sentenced to death by hanging. Any last words from the accused?"

Octavian merely laughed. "It's only begun," he whispered, looking at each Councilor individually. "There is more that the future holds. Beware of yourselves."

Jason was ready to punch the guy at this point. He had whispered, but with the silence in the room, Jason knew that everyone assembled had heard.

"Guards," Ryan called. "Escort the guilty to his prison. His sentence will be carried out at midnight tonight."

Octavian smirked at the Council before willingly letting the guards lead him away.

There was still complete silence in the House after Octavian was led away.

Jason had always known that true implications of what he had done, but he didn't realize just how treasonous he himself had been until Octavian's speech today. The weasel was inhumane and corrupt, but he knew his laws. …And he knew what Reyna had to go through when her partner had disappeared.

"I believe that is all we have on the agenda for today's meeting, Councilor Chase," Piper said, finally breaking the silence.

Annabeth nodded. "This session is adjourned. Everyone is to return to their normally scheduled activities. A reminder that there will be war games this Friday. Dismissed."

Everyone filed out but the Councilors. Finally, Ryan left as well. Rachel followed behind him.

The permanent members looked at each other uncertainly. They knew that they should probably be talking to Reyna, but none of them knew what to say. For her part, Reyna continued to stare straight ahead of her, still betraying absolutely no emotion.

"Reyna," Annabeth finally began.

Reyna snapped her gaze to the other Daughter of War. "Yes?" As always in a political situation, Reyna's voice had no tone and revealed less than nothing.

Annabeth flinched. "Are you okay?"

"I am fine," Reyna responded in a silken voice.

Annabeth looked at her sadly but nodded.

Piper got up and came to stand next to Reyna. The Daughter of Love hugged the Daughter of War from behind. Reyna closed her eyes for a second before pushing Piper off her.

The praetor stood. "I believe we are ready to leave for our normal duties?"

As soon as Annabeth gave the affirmative, Reyna left the House with a nod.

"If any of you need me, I will be either in my quarters or training. Good day to you all."

The remaining nine Councilors looked at each other in shock and sadness.

"We should follow her," Hazel said hesitantly.

Percy, Jason, and Frank all said at the same time, "Yes!"

All the remaining Councilors rose in unison and left the House to follow their companion.

* * *

Reyna hacked away at the dummy in front of her. Her face was an emotionless mask as had been the defining trait for her lately. To anyone watching, she was merely training swordplay in the arena.

"We deserve your anger, you know."

Reyna turned around to see the other three praetors of Rome. She rolled her eyes.

"I'm not angry. And I know that you're not actually them. I know you're gods. You might as well reveal yourselves."

'Jason' looked amused, but he quickly was replaced by Juno, her goatskin cloak draped over her shoulder. 'Frank' was replaced by Hestia, and 'Percy' was replaced by Athena.

"Are you sure you're not angry, praetor?" Juno asked. The queen of the heavens had the same mask of strength that Reyna donned so often.

"I am not angry that I had to rule alone," Reyna said truthfully. "Everything worked out the way it was supposed to. I am happy with where I am, and I am proud of my achievements."

Athena raised her eyebrow. "You are a true leader. Enyo was always a great warrior. Unlike Ares, she always kept her head on straight, and she never charged into battle without forethought. I see that you have inherited her attitudes."

It took Reyna a minute to realize who Enyo was, but then she remembered that Enyo was the original Greek form of her mother Bellona.

"My queens," Reyna said slowly, "why are you all here?"

"You have faced a long and difficult life, praetor," Vesta said softly. "We are here to offer you the strength and wisdom necessary for the future."

"Do you know who we are in relation to the Roman Empire?" Minerva asked.

"You are the patrons of Roman soldiers, the Roman state, the Roman military, and the Roman people. You keep the flame Western civilization alive," Reyna responded smoothly.

Juno smiled wryly. "For now, that is our job. But know your strength will be needed. You will be called upon to lead your fellow demigods when the others won't be able to. But you need to learn how to do battle in more ways than you are used to."

Juno drew her gladius. Around her, the other two goddesses drew their swords as well. They had sorrowful but cruel smiles on their faces.

"This is your first challenge. Channel your frustration and bitterness at being left along by the other praetors as you fight us. You cannot defeat us, but if we deem you worthy, we will let you know what the possible future holds."

Reyna's eyes widened. "My Ladies, I cannot fight you!"

"You will have to, for the sake of your own future," Minerva shot back. "Draw your sword."

Reluctantly, Reyna drew her sword from its sheath. She sent a quick prayer to her mother to protect her.

Minerva laughed. "Don't worry, we won't harm you," the goddess promised.

Vesta slashed with her longsword. Reyna barely had a chance to block the attack. From behind her, Juno cut through the opening. Just in time, Reyna put up her shield. She nearly fell from the impact of Juno's sword on her shield, but she stood her ground.

"What? You don't have the strength to fight back? Has leading on your own for so long sapped you of all your strength?" Juno taunted.

Reyna worked to check her anger. It would do her no favors to anger the queen of the heavens or any of the other goddesses.

But it was impossible. Seeing red at Juno's words, Reyna launched forward into an attack of her own. She slashed at the queen's neck but was met in midair by the queen's sword. Minerva slashed at her back, but Reyna put her shield up just in time. With one hand on her sword being kept in place by Juno's weapon and the other parrying Minerva's, Reyna knew that she was done for. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Vesta slashing downward with her sword.

Grunting, she pulled her sword from Juno's to meet Vesta's. Juno moved in for the attack, but Reyna burst through the circle and turned to face them. She charged the middle goddess, Athena (who had resumed her Greek form) and attacked at her midriff. Athena blocked it with her sword. Reyna jumped into the air and did a 360 to meet all of the goddesses' attacks with her shield.

"You have done well, praetor," Vesta said sternly. "I am impressed."

The three goddesses sheathed their weapons and looked at her sadly.

"But it is not over, not completely. The first set of actions was only set in motion. Look to the East, there is a typhoon on its way. Watch yourself," Juno said gravely.

With that, the three goddesses vanished.

Reyna turned to see the other Councilors watching her aghast.

"My fellow Councilors," she said coldly, "I had not seen you. Is there anything you need."

"You just took on three war goddesses!" Percy exclaimed, a dumbfounded look on his face. "And you're still alive."

Reyna snorted. "Probably because I didn't insult them."

Annabeth and Piper looked at her in admiration. Reyna gave the two girls a small smile.

"Care to teach me swordplay?" Annabeth asked her.

Reyna raised her eyebrow. "Your boyfriend is the greatest swordsman since Achilles himself, and you're asking _me_ to teach you?"

"Yes, please. One daughter of the war goddess to another, I admire your boldness."

Reyna smiled at hearing the same phrase that she had said so long ago to Annabeth.

"And anyone who can hold their own against my own mother deserves my respect and honor," Annabeth finished.

Reyna's smile widened. "Alright," she said. "I'll teach you."

"That's all well and good," Thalia interrupted, "but what did they mean?"

"About what?" Piper asked, confused.

"The whole 'it's not over' stuff?" Thalia asked, suspicious. "Octavian said the same thing."

Out of the corner of her eye, Reyna noticed Frank and Hazel exchanging worried looks. She made a mental note to talk to them later. They clearly knew what this was all about or at least had an idea but weren't sharing.

"Come," Reyna interrupted, "let's not worry about the future so quickly. We just finished fighting in one war. Let's enjoy our time of peace and happiness while it lasts. Besides, we still need to plan this week's war games."

* * *

That night, Nico's nightmare was worse than usual.

He was watching as the world around them collapsed. It was London spread out before him. The skyscrapers were crumbling upon themselves. The sky was getting darker. The earth was shaking. Fire was spreading throughout the city. A storm was coming off the Thames River.

A deep voice rumbled behind him, seeming to laugh.

"Well godling, what will you do?" it asked, almost amused.

"Everything you know and love is about to change. The old will make way for the new. It isn't over. It's only begun. So far, you and your friends have passed the first two challenges. But you've made a mistake by hiding the heroes from the rest of the world."

Nico turned around, trying to find the source of the voice, but he couldn't find anything.

"Who are you?" he screamed into the wind.

The voice laughed. "I am nothing. I am everything. I am the first of all. I am the last to consume. I am the one to choose."

The dream started to fade, but right in front of Nico, in the sky, two lines of text blazed into life. They burned away ever remnant of oxygen.

_Aut tempestatibus aut flammis, necesse est terram perdere  
Ut cum spiritu postrema sacramentum dejuremus_

Nico slammed up in a sweat. His entire body was covered with perspiration, and his sheet had fallen off him in the middle of the night.

"Nico, are you okay buddy?" he heard Percy call groggily from the bed next to him.

The ten permanent Councilors had a cabin to themselves by the Big House, with two large rooms, one for the males and one for females.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Nico replied, gasping. "Sorry about that, didn't mean to wake you. Just a nightmare."

"Everything okay?" Jason called, concerned. "Turn the light on, Leo."

The room was alit now, and Nico saw that the other four guys were looking at him in a mixture of expectancy and worry.

"Nico, what's wrong?" Frank asked, trying and failing to control his fear.

Nico turned to the other guys in the room with terror in his eyes and his body quivering.

Shaking, he whispered what they had heard all day: "It's not over."

The others looked at him apprehensively and on the verge of panic.

"Nico, you're not making any sense. _What's_ not over?" Percy sounded frantic.

Nico felt his heart race a thousand miles an hour.

"_To storm of fire the world must fall, An oath to keep with a final breath…_"

He recited in English the two lines of the last Great Prophecy that had blazed before him in the dream in Latin.

Nico's voice sounded broken and hurt. He looked as though an eighteen-wheeler was coming at him. He was paler than he had ever been before. "Huius saeculi finem."

Immediately, all five of them collapsed on the ground, having gone unconscious from just hearing that.

_This Age is destined to fall._

* * *

**Author's Note**: Hope you guys liked it! :D The Reyna scene didn't turn out quite how I wanted it to, but eh, it'll do.

As always leave a review to let me know what you guys think! :D

**Review Replies**:

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	6. Chapter 6: Revelations

**Author's Note:** This is my longest chapter at over 9k+ words. Woah! I don't think I got everything across that I wanted to, but I'm pretty happy with how most of it turned out. I'm almost at 50k words! I will probably be at that level with the next chapter. There's more plot and character development in here, so I hope you guys like it!

As always, please let me know in a few what you guys think! :)

**Disclaimer: **_Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ and _The Heroes of Olympians_ and all things related are property of Rick Riordan and Disney Hyperion. I am not making any profit off of this work in any way, shape, or form.

Fort Olympus

* * *

**Chapter 6: Revelations**

* * *

"They're not ready," Reyna insisted. "We can't send any of the demigods out to defend the other strongholds until they've finished learning all merged Greco-Roman styles here first. And that'll take at least another month."

"Reyna, you're right, but we can't wait a month," Hazel interrupted. "Especially with all of New Rome moving here today, we can't even hold onto one of them for that long. We have to send detachments out now."

"But how are we even going to transport them?" Reyna argued.

"Pegasi and chariots, what we've been doing for a long time now," Piper said simply.

"We'll be spreading our lines too thin too soon," Reyna warned.

Thalia sighed. The Council had met early that morning on the porch of the Big House to discuss what they would do with the strongholds. Octavian had been executed as was planned the night before, and the citizens of New Rome had been relocated to Fort Olympus.

"Reyna, I understand your concerns," Thalia said, "but Hazel's right. We can't wait another month. We have to dispatch reinforcements to secure the other strongholds now or we won't have them at all."

Reyna turned her cold stare on her fellow Councilors. "I will not agree to sending the men and women under my command on missions until they have been fully trained in everything they need to know."

Hazel and Piper exchanged looks of exasperation. Annabeth and Thalia continued to look at Reyna tiredly.

"Annabeth," Piper said finally, "You're the Marshall of Fort Olympus. It's your call. We can't come to an agreement, so you need to decide."

"I'm not going to send out untrained demigods on virtual suicide missions without the consent of the Council. This is dangerous and unwarranted," Annabeth said.

Reyna gave the Marshall a relieved look, happy to have finally found an ally.

"Seriously?" Piper exclaimed. "Look, this isn't the best plan, but we have to defend those strongholds. We all agreed yesterday that we need to keep them in case something happens in the future. You realize that it'll have been pointless if we don't defend them right?"

Reyna just turned away, looking towards Temple Hill (formerly known as Half-Blood Hill). "I can't vote to agree to this, guys. I'm sorry."

Thalia turned to the five guys. They had stayed quiet over the course of the entire exchange, sitting behind the girls. They seemed to be staring off into space.

"What do you think?" Thalia demanded of them.

When none of them looked at her or even gave an indication of having heard her, she snapped. "Guys, I'm talking to you!"

Jason snapped to his sister, looking apologetic. "Sorry Thals. Uh… what're we talking about?"

The other guys turned to look at her in confusion. She scowled at them. "Were any of you even paying attention?"

The guys had the decency to look down in shame.

Thalia's scowl deepened, and her arms began sparking. "This is exactly why I joined the Hunt in the first place," she muttered.

"Look, guys," Annabeth interrupted before Thalia could make the matter worse. "We can't agree on whether or not to send troops to defend and keep the other strongholds now or to wait."

"Yes," Nico said immediately, and the other guys nodded. All of a sudden, they were all attentive.

Thalia raised her eyebrow in suspicion.

"What's gotten you so interested?"

The guys exchanged a look of alarm tinged with fear. The girls narrowed their eyes at their companions and approached.

The guys cowered back slightly at their glares.

"What are you hiding from us?" Hazel asked dangerously. Her tone made it clear that there would be no lying accepted at that moment.

"It's nothing," Leo said quickly.

"Liar," Piper shot back. "What's going on?"

Just then, Rachel and Ryan burst out of the Big House's front door, panting as if having run all the way.

"_It's not over!_" They both said frantically. Ryan looked like he had just seen the Minotaur, and Rachel's brows were scrunched together in worry.

The girls looked at the Seers of Fate blankly.

"What's going on?" Annabeth asked cautiously.

"The Great Prophecy," Ryan gasped out before fainting.

Rachel turned to the Council with fear.

Suddenly, her eyes turned green, and her voice became raspy.

_To storm or fire, the world must fall;  
While the new queen stands proud and tall.  
To lead the new Age, the Ten must fight,  
As Juno's Seven join the Three of Light.  
Victory shall be King and conquer Death,  
And an oath to keep with a final breath._

Rachel fell forward soon as she said the last line. Jason and Leo caught her before she smashed her head against the floor.

Annabeth turned to the guys again. "Guys. Tell—Us—What—You're—Hiding."

Slowly, they nodded.

"Let's get to the Council House, first. This is going to take some time," Nico said in dejection.

Suddenly, a horn sounded from the training arena.

"It's time for us to teach classes," Piper said, angry and annoyed. "We'll met after lunch to talk about… everything."

The girls glared at each of the guys in turn, causing them to flinch and cower under their glares.

Eventually, they parted to go teach all of their classes. They were going to make an army, but first, they needed to train said army.

* * *

Annabeth returned to her barracks to get some rest. She had not gotten much sleep the night before, and she needed to think about the prophecy. There was no doubt in her mind that what she had just heard was the next Great Prophecy.

She groaned. In two years, two Great Prophecies had come true. Couldn't they live in peace for just _once_? Wisdom's daughter shook her head to clear her mind. She racked her brain, trying to remember what other enemies of Olympus were left to defeat. They had already defeated the Titans, Typhon, Echidna, the Giants, and Gaea herself. Either her memory was eluding her or there were no more enemies left to defeat. She hoped it was the latter.

The gods had promised that she and Percy were free from future prophecies to live out their lives in happiness. She smiled wryly at this thought. Demigods could never be truly happy. They were always in dangerous situations and power struggles. They were never free or safe. They would always be unlucky and struggle through life.

She had hoped that with the creation of Fort Olympus and New Rome's relocation to it would change this and give demigods a chance to live out in relative happiness, but clearly, that was not the way of the Fates. She groaned in distaste. Finally, she decided to get some rest before lunch. If they were going to convene about the latest Great Prophecy, she might as well try and get some sleep while she still could.

Slowly, she entered the realms of Hypnos and Morpheus...

_"How long do you think it will take?" Hades muttered. The six humanoid children of Kronos and Rhea had convened in the throne room._

_"I don't know," Zeus admitted._

_Annabeth was shocked by how tired the King of Kings sounded._

_"It's time, isn't it?" Hera asked softly._

_Zeus turned to her slowly, with grief in his eyes. "I think so, my Queen. I think it is time."_

_Hera looked at him with a steely gaze but nodded. "It is the way of the world, my Husband. Nothing lasts forever. You have managed to delay the inevitable for seven millennia. It is time."_

_"It doesn't have to be like this," Poseidon interrupted._

_"Yes, it does brother," Hestia said soothingly. "You know it is so. You were always the wisest amongst us. You know that it is time."_

_Poseidon glared half-heartedly at his oldest sibling._

_"There has to be a way to stop it," Demeter said, looking at her youngest brother and the King of Olympus in worry._

_Zeus shook his head, trying and failing to hide his pain. "No, sister. The eras are changing. I am tired. It is time for the future to have its will. It is time for my grandmother's last act of kindness to finally come to fruition."_

_Poseidon and Hades squeezed their younger brother's shoulders, trying to give him even an inkling of comfort. It failed. Tears began to slowly fall out of Zeus' eyes._

_"Juno Moneta, Juno Regina," he turned to Hera. His voice was broken and sounded half-dead. "My wife, My Love… I was always yours in the end."_

_Hera looked at him with no emotion, but she clasped his hand and intertwined their fingers together._

_"I shall go find Britannia," Hestia said softly._

_Poseidon grasped the oldest's hand. "No, my Lady," he told her softly. "Not yet. Let her find her way here. She is already busy and taken with responsibility. Let her finish her duties before we burden her with this."_

_Hestia looked into the eyes of her brother who had once courted her, seeking to make her the Queen of the Seas. She slowly nodded._

_"It is not wise," Hestia warned her siblings. "The time has come to change our ways for good. We must accept it without problem, or we will cause the entire world to die."_

_Her siblings laughed bitterly. "Didn't you hear the latest Great Prophecy," Zeus shot at his oldest sibling. "It doesn't matter in the end."_

_Hestia's form began to glow white in anger at Zeus' lack of respect. "I would warn you to be careful how you speak, Zeus," she warned, her eyes flashing._

_Zeus flinched but looked down._

_"Regardless, we all know who the new queen is," Hestia said after Zeus backed down. "We need not try to defy Fate. We must try to make it easy for her to transition."_

_Hera turned to Hestia. "Go, my sister, wisest and protector of us all," she said softly, "Find Britannia. Bring her here."_

_Hestia nodded and flashed out._

_The dream melted away. Suddenly, Annabeth found herself watching her mother in battle. But it wasn't her mother… at least, not the way she was used to seeing her._

_Athena was garbed in blue robes with golden armor over her. For the first time she had ever seen Athena in battle, Annabeth saw her mother wearing in a hoplite helmet. She was confused by this; Athena never wore a helmet. But that wasn't the strangest part._

_In both her Greek and Roman forms, Athena's weapon was the spear, sometimes the longsword. But now, she was battling with a trident in her right hand and a shield that clearly wasn't Aegis in her left._

Annabeth gasped as she woke up.

"What's going on," she whispered to herself.

"You tell me, my daughter."

Annabeth turned to see Athena as she had been in her dream standing next to her, in blue robes with golden armor and a trident and shield in her hands.

"Why are you like this?" Annabeth demanded. "Who are you? You're not my mother!"

The woman raised an amused eyebrow. "Perhaps you would not recognize me as this. I rarely assume this form, but it is sometimes useful."

The woman changed, and Athena was standing in her place.

Annabeth looked at her uncertainly. "Are you really my mother?"

Athena nodded.

"Mom, what did my dream mean?" Even to herself, Annabeth sounded worried.

Athena looked at her confused. "I do not even know what your dream was, my child," she confessed.

Annabeth looked at the goddess in shock. Goddesses were able to read the minds of humans.

"Mom, who are you?" Annabeth asked cautiously.

Athena fashioned a chair out of thin air and took a seat.

"I am Athena, I am Minerva, I am Marianne, and I am Britannia," she answered. Athena's gray eyes sparked with light so they looked silver.

"Who's Britannia?" Annabeth demanded.

"You are my daughter, Annabeth," Athena responded, "Answer your own question."

With that, Athena vanished, leaving Annabeth more confused than ever before.

* * *

Percy was walking back to the Council's cabin to get some rest before the meeting at lunch. He knew that the girls would be mad when they told them about Nico's dream. He knew that they shouldn't have kept it secret. But it wasn't exactly something that any of them had wanted to share.

He groaned. The Oracle of Delphi had just delivered the Second Great Prophecy in two years. If the last sequence was anything to go by, they would be going to war again within a few months. Argh, why did his life have to be so damn complicated? All he ever wanted was to help the people he loved. And now, after all they'd been through, he just wanted to settle down for life with Annabeth. Hadn't they served Olympus well enough all these past few years to earn this brief respite and freedom? Why did they have to keep fighting? Couldn't Olympus' enemies just stay trapped away for a little while? Was that too much to ask for?

He glared at the horizon over the lake. Unknowingly, he had walked all the way to Temple Hill (formerly known as Half-Blood Hill). He saw Thalia's tree and the Sacred Hearth next to it. Strangely, Lady Hestia wasn't there, tending the hearth. Instead, Calypso was there.

Percy tried not to resent her upon sight. He tried not to attack her right then and there to make her feel the same pain that he had felt when Annabeth dealt with the punishments of her curse in Tartarus. But he held himself back. He knew that she had been in enough pain these past few years. He didn't need to make it worse.

"I know there isn't anything to make up for what I did," the goddess said softly, "so I'm just going to say I'm sorry."

"How did you know I was here? You didn't even turn around!"

Calypso snorted and turned to him with a quizzical look. "I might not be a major god, Percy, but I do still have some powers, you know."

"Oh."

Calypso gave a grudging smile. "Come, sit."

Percy was reluctant to accept the offers of the beautiful woman whom he had left behind a long time ago but acquiesced.

For a moment, they sat in silence, looking into the hearth and the flames.

Finally, Calypso broke the silence. "I'm sorry. I was bitter."

"You don't even know what I'm thinking about," Percy snapped.

Calypso looked at him with saddened eyes. "You're thinking of my curse."

Percy glared at her briefly before turning back to the flames.

"I didn't curse _Annabeth_, Percy," she said softly, "I curse _you_."

Percy snapped to look at her. "Then why did the arai attack her?" he demanded.

Calypso just looked at him in grief. "Because the best way to hurt _you_ is to make the people you love feel pain."

"I tried to get you free—"

"And that was your mistake," Calypso was the one glaring at him now. "I have lived seven millennia with the pain of being left behind, hero. I could have dealt with another leaving my shores. But you gave me false hope. If you hadn't done that, I might have left you alone like I had with everyone else."

Percy was taken aback. "You would rather I have just forgotten you like everyone else?"

Calypso gave a curt nod, glaring into the flames.

"Why?" He asked, flabbergasted and his anger temporarily gone.

She sighed. "Percy, when you've lived on a phantom island for seven thousand years and have fallen in love with every hero who washed ashore, you get used to the pain."

She smiled at him, and tears were flowing down her eyes. "You get used to being forgotten and left behind. If you had done the same, I would have just moved on from you like all the others. And you would have been able to live a perfect life with your love."

"But it's not fair that you have to face that punishment!"

She raised her eyebrow at him. "So you've said to me before." Her voice sounded amused. "But it is—was—my punishment and my life. Whether or not it was fair, I had accepted it. If you had forgotten me like every other hero had—"

"No hero forgets you," he interrupted her. He looked at her with grudging admiration, finally appreciating the strength she had to deal with so much heartbreak in one life.

Calypso shook her head. "Other than the last three heroes who have washed up on my shore, they all have forgotten me," she tried to keep the sadness out of her voice but failed.

Percy hesitated. "Last three? Who?" He demanded. "Leo, me, and who else?"

Calypso looked at him hesitantly. "It doesn't matter," she decided. "My point is that you should have forgotten me, too. It would have been better for both of us, and we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"No hero can forget you Calypso," Percy reluctantly admitted. "Leo and I are proof of that."

Calypso shook her head sadly. "No, they all do."

"You don't understand," he interrupted again. "For a long time, after coming home, you're the biggest question mark we have."

He hated saying this; he hated admitting that he had questioned his feelings and love for Annabeth at all.

Calypso gave him a surprised look.

"I don't know about all the rest, but after coming back, for a few days, all I could think about is 'what would have happened if I had stayed'. And your curse? It works both ways… You fall in love with the heroes who need your help, but the heroes can't help but fall for you, too."

He looked away from her as he finished. He hated himself for saying this aloud.

"You love Annabeth," Calypso stated.

"With all my heart," Percy replied, a smile coming onto his face.

"Good."

Percy turned to her with his brow raised. "You want the men you loved to go away from you?"

"Percy, love is a form of energy. It continues to change and drift all around us. If we kept dwelling on past flames and 'what if' situations, we would never be able to leave the past. We have to keep moving onwards and take on new love when necessary."

Percy looked into the flames, thinking about the past all over again. He remembered Annabeth's crush on Luke. He remembered how many struggles they had to face to prove their love for each other. He remembered their parents' rivalry, and how they tried to keep them apart.

"I will always love Annabeth," he admitted softly. "She's everything to me."

Calypso smiled at him warmly. "You have met true love, Percy. Don't ever let it go. You two are two halves of the same whole. Never _ever_ let anything come between you two. True love is a precious gift, and very few people, gods even, ever get it like you have. Cherish it; keep it; protect it; live it."

Percy looked at her, surprise and respect reflected on his face. "I don't know if I can ever forgive you for cursing Annabeth," he said.

Calypso rolled her eyes. "Again, Percy," she said, irritated, "I didn't curse Annabeth; I cursed _you_."

Percy looked at her, trying to understand her point.

"You are too loyal to the people you love. You hate when the people you love are in pain. Nothing brings you greater pain than seeing the people you love in pain, especially if it's because of you. That's why the Annabeth felt the pain of the arai when I had cursed you."

Percy turned back to the flames. He disliked the situation, but it made sense. He never wanted to see those around him in pain. It was the main reason he didn't want Leo to go after Calypso, because she might hurt Leo's emotions and even curse Annabeth.

"Do you love Leo?" he demanded.

Calypso looked at him, surprised. "I do. Why?"

"Don't hurt him. You said so yourself; I don't sit by idly when the people I care about are hurt. Leo is like my younger brother. If you hurt him… Well, just remember that I've beaten many gods and goddesses in battle."

He let the threat hang. He was pleased as he noticed an inkling of fear worm its way into Calypso's expression. Slowly, she nodded.

Satisfied, he stood and entered the main Temple to offer his prayers. Calypso looked back at him in shock and admiration. She no longer loved Percy Jackson, but she couldn't help but admire the characteristics that had caused her to fall for him the first time.

* * *

"Attention!"

"At ease," Reyna said curtly to the battlement commander. She had a fifteen minute break after her lunch time before she had to report to the Council House. Being the seasoned commander she was, she had decided to check the defenses of the Fort.

She had entered the battlement commanding the northwest section of the Fort to see how things were running. After Athena had brought up the walls around Fort Olympus, they had come up with a schedule of how they would operate the twenty battlements and gates.

It was decided that all demigods (minus the Councilors and those still in training) would be split up ten divisions, like legions but slightly smaller in size, with roughly fifty demigods in each one. Each division was further broken down into five units, each with about ten demigods. Each unit answered to its centurion, which were appointed by each division's overall commanding officer, known as a strategos. All strategos answered to the Council of Demigods, whose military titles were tribunes. The overall commander of the Fort was the annually elected Marshall, currently Annabeth. All units would be assigned to man the battlements for rotating four hour shifts.

Reyna mulled what they would do moving forward as more and more demigods joined their ranks as they passed through Chiron's and Lupa's training. Clearly, keeping only ten divisions would not be enough.

"Centurion," she ordered the battlement commander, "intelligence and observation report."

"Nothing seen, tribune," Malcolm, Annabeth's half-brother in command of this unit responded. "We've seen no threat or advance. Is there something we should be looking out for, ma'am?"

Reyna turned to look past the walls, into the real world. "Just keep your eyes open, commander," she ordered. "Pass the news to the other centurions. When will the shift change?"

"In two hours, madam."

Reyna nodded. "Keep your eyes open, and should anything happen, come to the Council immediately. I am needed—"

Just then, a flaming cannonball hurtled towards the fort.

Reyna's eyes widened. "Intercept that missile!" she ordered. "Malcolm, defend the walls. I will alert the Marshall and the fort. We have enemies out there."

"Man the ballistae, ready the surface-to-air missiles," Malcolm ordered his soldiers. "Make sure those projectiles don't make contact with the fort!"

Reyna raced down the stairs, back into the fort. Behind her, she heard a huge boom as the battlements fire in return. She flinched as she heard the ground shake upon contact but kept running. In the fort, demigods were running around in panic. They didn't know what was going on, other than that they were under attack.

She reached for her conch shell, mentally cursing Percy for suggesting they use it in emergencies. She blew into it, and war horn of Fort Olympus sounded, carrying over. Immediately, Annabeth's voice resounded across the Fort.

"Demigods, remain calm and form ranks within your division. Cabin Nine, you are to release the catapults and all long-range weapons. Place them in the predetermined locations. Take command of the _Argo II_ and prepare it for battle. Wait for my signal to attack."

The other Councilors rushed to meet Reyna in the valley, already in full battle armor with weapons at the ready. Reyna thanks the gods that she had learned at a young age to always be armed and protected in case something unexpected had happened.

"What's going on?" Nico demanded.

Reyna was panting heavily but got out, "Don't know. We're being attacked. Fireballs, the battlements are fighting back."

"Reyna, take Frank and Hazel with you. Take the eagles and find out what's attacking us," Annabeth ordered. "But _don't_ attack. We need to see what's going on. Ryan, Rachel, go to the temples and see if you can get the gods to help. Percy, Jason, Nico, Battle Formation 86 Delta, go. Leo, go get the _Argo II_ ready for battle, and make sure your siblings have all the weapons ready. Thalia, you and I are going to be commanding from the battlements."

They all dispersed into roles that Annabeth had ordered.

"What the hell is going on?" Jason muttered to Nico and Percy as they ran to the walls. Battle Formation 86 Delta was basically the three of them advancing on enemies in a mini V Frontal Formation with two divisions behind them.

But right now, the three of them and Annabeth and Thalia were in the easternmost battlement, watching the thundercloud advancing on Fort Olympus.

Within a minute, Reyna, Frank, and Hazel flew into the battlement on their eagles.

"What's going on?" Annabeth demanded.

"It's the remnants of Gaea's forces. I have no idea how they found us with all the magical boundaries, but there's a lot of them," Reyna responded.

"How many?" Thalia asked.

"At least 1,500," Reyna said.

Annabeth and Thalia swore. "How're we going to do this?" Thalia questioned.

"Do they have air power?" Annabeth asked.

"No," Frank answered. "I don't know why, but they're advancing on foot."

Annabeth nodded. "Good."

A flaming projectile impacted the wall twenty yards down and shook their battlement.

"What are they firing with?" Thalia asked.

"They've got all sorts of siege equipment. Portable ballistae, cannons, trebuchets, all the rest," Hazel answered.

Annabeth swore again. "Alright here's the plan," she said. "We have Divisions 3 and 4 manning the wall. Let's keep them there. I want Division 1 and 2 going with Battle Formation 86 Delta. You guys have to neutralize those monsters. Reyna, take half of Division 5 and attack from their left flank. Frank, you take the other half and attack from the right. I want Leo and the _Argo II_ to launch aerial strikes and take out as many of their reinforcements as possible, and maybe try to neutralize those siege engines. Thalia, you lead the rest of Cabin 9. Try to keep the further half of their army from getting too close. Got it?"

The others nodded and dispersed.

Just as Percy, Jason, and Nico entered the fray with Divisions 3 and 4 following them, they heard the sound of the first battlement being destroyed. Thankfully, nothing inside the walls had been attacked, yet, but the walls themselves were taking quite a bit of pounding.

The three formed into their V, with Percy in the middle and Jason to his left and Nico to his right.

"Three," Nico ordered, "Split into Theta Formation and attack from three sides."

Immediately, the third division split into six groups. Two groups attacked from the front, while the other four went to the other sides.

"Keep them contained," Nico ordered. "Four, go around and take out those trebuchets. We've lost too much ground in this already."

The fourth division charged immediately.

Nico turned to see Jason and Percy looking at him with impressed looks.

"We're going to be attacking their reinforcements," Nico told them. "Annabeth is going to send Thalia's men to keep the rest of the army distracted. Ready boys?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Percy and Jason smirked as they drew their swords.

The three boys charged with swords draw in the V formation. Together, they created an arc of destruction.

* * *

"What's he doing?" Annabeth muttered to herself, annoyed that Nico hadn't followed her orders. She was watching the entire battle from their headquarters.

But she quickly saw that Nico's judgment was right. The first group of trebuchets were already secured by the fourth division, and they had turned them to attack the enemy. The _Argo II_ was firing flaming spears and balls of destruction into the enemy's line of attack. Already the left and right flanks of the enemy had been disabled, and with the aerial assaults keeping the reinforcements occupied, the battle had quickly turned in their favor.

She turned back to see the Big Three sons. Nico had summoned a phalanx of undead skeletons, and they were marching through the center of the enemy's forces, cutting down all monsters in their path.

Percy, Nico, and Jason were in their triangular formation, back to back to back. Annabeth felt a pang of jealousy watching this; it had always been _her_ that fought back to back with Percy. She quickly pushed it down, however, and focused on the battle.

The three boys had advanced to the middle of the battlefield, surrounded on all sides by monsters. The undead soldiers were coming from behind them, but there were many enemy ranks separating them. Percy, Jason, and Nico had turned their swords into arcs of terror. Percy had his usual battle face, that fierce glare that often made enemies and allies alike turn and flee in horror. Jason had a look of grim determination. Nico's face was emotionless, but the shadows around him grew and became darker to reflect his fury. Gold, bronze, and black became a trifecta of destruction, slashing through monsters in unison, acting out a dance of wrath and fury of the gods.

Annabeth was surprised by how well the three of them fought together. So far as she knew, they hadn't trained together that often, and they hadn't fought together often, either. This had to have been the first battle that they were fighting together. But watching them, no one would believe it. Percy was obviously the best swordsman of the three; monsters challenging him stood no chance. But Jason and Nico weren't bad, either. Within minutes, the entire legion of monsters surrounding the three of them was just dust. The three then turned to destroy the rest of the enemy.

Annabeth shook her head, marveling at how well they had worked together, even when they weren't using their powers. She would have to keep that in mind as the leading strategist of Fort Olympus. They were powerful individually, but when they worked together, they were unstoppable. Briefly, she mulled the thought of putting Thalia with them to see how well the four of them would work. She made a mental note to have them train like that tomorrow and observe their power and attacks. Especially if they were ever fighting near the sea, the three or four of them could be an entire division by themselves.

Annabeth smiled at her thoughts and turned to observe the rest of the battle. She hated not being down there, fighting by her friends and allies, but she knew that until she fully mastered swordsmanship, she would be better staying back and directing troop movements. Still, she hated feeling useless.

Within an hour, the battle was won, and the armies of Fort Olympus retreated to their sanctuary.

"Thank you for your service and loyalty, heroes," Annabeth's voice resounded over the valley. She really loved the PA system that the Hephaestus kids had installed around the fort. Any of the Councilors could make an announcement that everyone would hear at his or her discretion just by speaking into a microphone on their wrist. It was helpful in moments like this.

"All activities, classes, and trainings are cancelled for the remainder of the day. Good luck, heroes, and thank you again. The staffing of the battlements will be as scheduled. The Council will have an emergency meeting. If you wish, you are free to join us in the Council House."

* * *

"The fort's repaired," Hera said. After the Council had assembled, the goddess had joined them.

No one else had joined them in Council; most of the heroes were either resting by the lake or resting in their cabins. The heroes were clearly tired, and rightfully so.

"Thank you, Queen Hera," Annabeth said. She still had no intimate love for the Queen of the Heavens, but she had learned to get on her good side, if just to keep Fort Olympus safe. Queen Hera was one of the few gods who could be counted upon to help the Council since the Seven of the Prophecy were personally chosen by her.

Hera nodded. "I am here to help as much as I can."

"What was that?" Thalia demanded. Unlike Annabeth, Thalia still resented Hera for all the hardships she had faced at the goddess' hand.

Hera ignored Thalia's tone. "That was the first attack by the remnants of Gaea's forces. Most of her armies were defeated in Marathon last week, but pockets of monsters have remained. Thankfully, all of the giants were defeated in Marathon. It remains to be seen what else remains of her former army."

"What do we have to do?" Hazel asked.

"You are heroes," Hera responded smoothly. "Remember what your teachers taught you."

"We battle the monsters who keep regenerating to keep civilization intact. To keep humanity intact, we have to keep defeating the barbarism that churns just underneath, represented by the monsters. We are what keeps this battle alive and what keeps human civilization from collapsing," Annabeth proclaimed.

Hera nodded. "Your mother warned all of you, Marshall Chase, when she created Fort Olympus, to not forget your duty. I remind you of your duty as heroes."

"Queen Hera," Frank interrupted, "what does the new Great Prophecy mean?"

Hera's face darkened briefly before turning sorrowful.

"Alas, Councilor Zhang, that you must discover on your own."

Hera sounded genuinely sad at what she had to say.

"Who's Britannia?" Annabeth demanded.

The other Councilors looked at her in confusion, but she ignored them and focused on the queen of the heavens.

"Another question whose answer you must discover on your own, I'm afraid," Hera said.

"Are Olympus' enemies defeated or not?" Percy asked, almost sounding afraid.

Hera nodded. "All of the external enemies of the gods have been defeated for another eon, thanks to your hard work."

"So what is this new Great Prophecy about?" Nico pressed. "And what was my dream about?"

Hera's eyes darkened at this, and her form began to turn brown as she turned into Juno, with the goatskin cloak around her shoulders.

"I tell you as Juno Moneta to beware the future. The last one is not over, but the new one has already begun. Be careful. I must take my leave now."

With that, she vanished in a flash of light.

"Well that was helpful," Thalia growled.

"Thalia," Piper warned. "At least give her some respect. She's still the Queen of the Heavens, and whether we like it or not, she's still our patron."

Thalia grumbled and cursed under her breath but otherwise nodded.

"Now," Reyna turned sharply to face the males in the room. "What was the reaction you five were giving us this morning?"

They gave a collective gulp as the girls turned back to glare at them.

"I had a dream last night," Nico began carefully.

Annabeth raised her eyebrow, thinking of her dream earlier in the day with the children of Kronos and Rhea.

Nico went on to explain his dream to the Council at large.

"Juno just said that the last Great Prophecy hasn't ended, but the new one has already begun," Jason remarked. "What does that mean?"

"It makes sense," Hazel said.

They all turned to her in question. "Well, two lines from the last Great Prophecy are in the new one. Sure they're a bit changed, but they're still the same. _To storm or fire the world must fall; An oath to keep with a final breath._"

Annabeth slowly nodded.

"What does that mean, though?" Leo asked, sounding nervous.

"What's the prophecy we heard today?" Thalia questioned.

Ryan and Rachel recited from memory in unison:

_To storm or fire, the world must fall;  
While the new queen stands proud and tall.  
To lead the new Age, the Ten must fight,  
As Juno's Seven join the Three of Light.  
Victory shall be King and conquer Death,  
And an oath to keep with a final breath._

"Well we know who Juno's Seven are," Reyna said. "It's the Seven from the last Great Prophecy. You guys were handpicked by Juno to save the world."

"But who are the 'Three of Light'?" Nico questioned.

"I think that's the three of us," Thalia said softly. "Reyna, Nico, and me."

"Huh?" Everyone else looked at Thalia like she had gone crazy.

"Reyna, your mother's symbol is the torch. Nico, you're Hestia's Champion, and her symbol is the hearth-flame. And I'm the former Lieutenant of Artemis, goddess of the Moon and nightly light."

"That seems to make sense," Percy said cautiously. "So the ten of us have to fight 'to lead a new Age'? What does that mean?"

No one had an answer, thinking of what Nico had just told them. _Huius saeculi finem_: Latin for _This Age is destined to fall._

"I had a dream, too," Annabeth said softly.

Everyone rounded on her.

"What was it?" Jason asked curtly.

Reluctantly, Annabeth shared her dream about the eldest gods with her fellow Councilors as well as her exchange with Athena upon waking up.

"But the trident is the weapon of Poseidon," Percy said, both flabbergasted and miffed, when Annabeth was done.

No one had an explanation.

After a minute of thundering silence, Hazel brought the Councilors out of their reverie.

"Okay we have the Great Prophecy, but we need to talk about the strongholds, the real reason we called this meeting this morning. Are we going to send out demigods from Fort Olympus to guard them now or later? Because we have to do it soon, or we won't have those strongholds must longer."

The give guys seemed to come to a unanimous conclusion with just a look at each other. "We say yes," Nico spoke for all of them. "We can't just let those go. We decided to keep them under our control, and if we're going to do that, we need to make sure that we can actually use them in the future, or else it will have been in vain."

"I also vote we send units out," Thalia said. "After what happened today, I'm more convinced than ever before that we need to have allies around the country. We need to make sure that we have backup nearby if we need it."

"I still vote no," Reyna countered. "The demigods haven't received full training in the new methods, yet, and I will not let them go off on their own until they have."

"It's too late now," Annabeth said, "Reyna, I agree with you. I hate the idea of sending untrained people out to fight, but we don't have a choice after this. We need to take control of those strongholds ASAP."

"At least give the chosen units some accelerated training for the next week before sending them out!" Reyna protested.

Annabeth hesitated.

"I think that's a good idea," Percy spoke up. "We can easily teach the three units everything they need to know in a week. That's plenty of time."

"Yeah, I'll support that," Nico added.

The others seemed to murmur in agreement.

"Leo, can Cabin 9 get three of those triremes ready in a week?" Annabeth turned to Leo.

"Uh… Annabeth you realize that it took us almost eight months to build the _Argo II_, right?"

"Just answer the question," the Marshall snapped back.

Leo recoiled at her attitude but shook his head. "Not unless we have at least thirty people working on each ship. If you are ready to spare two divisions just for shipbuilding duty for the next week, I'll personally guarantee that they'll be ready. But there's no way we can do it otherwise."

Annabeth nodded. "Add shipbuilding to every units list of duties," she ordered Ryan. "I want those triremes ready to take our men and women out in exactly one week. Understood?"

Leo nodded. "I'll see to it myself. I'm guessing you want the _Argo II_ to stay here."

"No shit, Sherlock," Annabeth deadpanned, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

Leo smirked and nodded.

"Meeting adjourned," Annabeth said with finality, and they all filed out.

* * *

"I know what it's like to lead on your own, you know."

Reyna turned to see Annabeth walked up to her. Dinner had just ended, and Annabeth had noticed Reyna turning to the forest instead of the Council's cabin. She followed her fellow Daughter of War.

Reyna laughed bitterly, and Annabeth smiled at her friend sadly. "Do you know what it's like to lead a whole city for a year by yourself, Annabeth?"

"No," Annabeth admitted, "but I do know what it's like to lead a camp full of demigods for a year on my own. And I know what it's like to shoulder a job by myself that was meant for two people."

Reyna turned to her with grudging respect, knowing that they did have the same experience in this regard.

"I failed miserably for the first few weeks after Jason disappeared," Reyna admitted softly after a few moments' silence.

Annabeth didn't respond, waiting for her friend to continue.

"It was horrible," Reyna's voice cracked with emotion. "Octavian almost turned the entire legion against me, and he made it seem like I was abandoning them. And he made it seem like Jason had disappeared on purpose. He almost organized a coup."

Annabeth's eyes widened at this. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Reyna shook her head. "Don't. It's not your fault; you didn't even know I existed at the time."

"How did you save the camp?"

Reyna laughed bitterly again. "With brute force. I'm not as good a strategist as you or as good at political mind games like Nico," she admitted. "But I knew that unless I took control back from Octavian, New Rome would descend into civil war."

Annabeth looked at her friend sadly. Reyna continued to gaze towards the horizon over the lake.

"You did well," Annabeth complimented.

"You think so?"

"Reyna, if I was in charge, Rome would have fallen within days with civil war. You kept all those people together. Give yourself some credit, girl."

Reyna raised an amused eyebrow at her friend. "Never thought you'd be speaking like Venus," she teased Annabeth.

"Yeah, well, being entangled in her realm does that to you sometimes," Annabeth responded dryly.

Reyna threw her head back and laughed.

After another minute of silence, Reyna spoke again, "I offered Percy the praetorship as soon as he came to Camp Jupiter, you know."

Annabeth nodded but didn't say anything. Percy had told her the story and cleared up her misconceptions. Reyna hadn't really made a move on Percy as she had originally thought, but she had offered her support in whatever he might choose. She was doing it out of desperation, not any ulterior motive.

"Percy of course thought that I was trying to seduce him, so he started rambling about you," Reyna said, amusement lacing her voice.

Annabeth blushed at her words but said nothing.

"But he refused. He's a great leader, but he doesn't seem to like power. Much like you," Reyna had turned to Annabeth at these words.

"I hate being in power," Annabeth admitted. "I hate being called Marshall as I walk through the Fort. I hate that people look to me for the answers all the time—"

"No offense, Annabeth, but you do have the answers all the time."

Annabeth just scowled, causing Reyna to laugh again.

"Doesn't mean I like power," Annabeth protested.

"Naturally. So why did you agree to be Marshall, then?"

"Because you guys didn't give me a choice!"

"You could have just said you didn't want to be it."

Annabeth didn't respond. "Why did Nico suggest me? He's a much better strategist and leader than I am," Annabeth's voice was laced with doubt.

Reyna snorted. "Quit selling yourself short. You're the daughter of the goddess of battle strategy; he's the champion of that goddess. And if you don't think you're a good leader, you're fooling yourself. The way you gave orders and rallied the troops and kept everyone calm today. Please, not even Jason and Percy are that good."

Annabeth's cheeks turned pink at the Reyna's praise. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"One daughter of the war goddess to another," Reyna smirked, "I admire your boldness."

The two friends burst out in laughter at this.

* * *

Frank and Hazel were walking along the beach, holding hands, laughing at each other's jokes.

"You know, you make Leo and Annabeth almost seem tame in the older sibling department," Jason remarked.

Percy cracked up at Jason's comment, and Nico scowled at the Jason.

"Shut it, Grace," the Prince of the Underworld growled.

Jason merely smirked in reply, and Percy cracked up again at Nico's response.

"Nico, calm down," Percy said after finally getting his laughter under control, "Frank's not going to hurt Hazel."

"He better not," Nico muttered.

Jason and Percy exchanged amused looks.

"Seriously, man, it'll be okay," Jason promised.

Nico gave them a halfhearted glare before turning his gaze out to sea. In his peripheral vision, he saw the Athena Parthenos standing guard over the docks, much like the Colossus of Rhodes had protected the city thousands of years ago. She gleamed in the light of dusk, and her spear golden decorations glinted with power and barely contained rage. It almost looked like Athena was still letting her rage simmer through her statue for being hidden away and mistreated for so many centuries.

"What's on your mind?" Percy asked Nico curiously.

"Nothing," he responded automatically.

The other two princes glared at him, and he knew he wouldn't be able to get away with lying.

"I'm wondering why Athena was carrying a trident in Annabeth's dream," he finally admitted.

"Oh," Percy said.

Nico turned an amused smirk to him as Jason said, "Still mad that your daddy's rival carries weapon."

"Yeah, just a bit," Percy admitted.

Nico rolled his eyes as Jason chuckled.

"You do know that Athena, as a war goddess, has control over all weapons, right?" Jason asked.

Percy turned back to the sea, and if looks could burn, the entire Atlantic Ocean would have vaporized right then and there.

Jason and Nico grinned at their friend's reaction.

"When did you get so good with your sword?" Percy turned to Nico, narrowing his eyes. "Four years ago, in the Battle of the Labyrinth, you could hardly hold it up."

Jason smacked him in the back of the head. "Dude!"

"What was that for?" Percy whined.

Nico rolled his eyes again.

"I spent most of my time in the Underworld, Percy," he said curtly.

"So?"

"He was trained by the dead, you dimwit," Jason exclaimed.

Percy at least had the decency to look sheepish. "Oh… Who trained you?" He asked curiously.

"Achilles and Perseus," Nico deadpanned.

Jason looked at him in shock as Percy sputtered out nonsense.

"Don't worry, Percy, you're still the greatest swordsman since Achilles. No one will come near your strength in battle or greatness in swordplay anytime soon," Nico reassured.

"That's not what I was thinking about," Percy snapped, his cheeks turning slightly pink at the praise.

"Then what were you thinking about?" Nico shot back.

"You looked like a monster on the battlefield today," Percy said softly. "I was scared."

Nico looked at his quizzically for a second before throwing his head back in laughter. "Percy, remember when you defeated my dad's armies after bathing in the Styx?"

Percy flinched but nodded.

"Wait, you bathed in the Styx?" Jason asked, incredulous.

"One of many things he's done, Sparky," Nico waved away. "Anyway, Percy, you looked even more terrifying than anything I could ever hope to pull off back then. I realized why you would be the greatest hero of all time then. You made everyone else look like a fool. You cut through enemy lines like they were made of paper."

Percy shook his head. "I've seen myself fighting the Hades' armies in dreams, Nico, and I guarantee that you were scarier today."

Nico looked at him doubtfully but didn't respond.

"He's right, Nico," Jason said finally.

Nico turned to him with his brow raised.

"You scared everyone there, and you made it seem like you could defeat everything by yourself. Even I was scared," Jason admitted.

Nico rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to turn on the very place that I've been appointed patron and protector of."

"I know," Jason said, "but you still scared me."

"We're fighters," Nico deadpanned. "We have to scare our enemies and destroy them."

The three sat in companionable silence, just looking over the sea for a little while.

"Are you going to become a god?" Jason finally asked.

Nico looked at him in surprise. "I don't know," he said truthfully after a moment.

"Let's not think about the future for once," Percy interrupted before Nico could go on.

Nico and Jason looked at Percy doubtfully.

"Look, guys, we just came back from war. We lost almost fifty demigods, and a few gods faded. Let's enjoy the relative peace we have now before we go off marching into battle and thinking about the future again," he pleaded.

Now, Nico and Jason looked at Percy like he had gone insane, but reluctantly, the nodded.

"So Nico," Jason finally said after another moment's silence. "Why did you ask to be left away from Love for all time?"

Percy and Nico both tensed. They had spent some time together these past few days ever since coming back from Olympus as friends, but they hadn't dared broach this topic. Jason destroyed their peace.

"You know why, Jason," Nico glared at the ground in front of him.

"No, I don't," Jason shot back.

Nico turned his glare to Jason, and Jason remembered their confrontation at the South Wind's palace. He had wondered then if an angry Nico di Angelo would be too much for him to handle, but after seeing the Prince of the Underworld in battle today, he _knew_ that an angry Nico di Angelo would destroy him.

Jason glanced at Percy who seemed to be having similar thoughts as he was slowly backing away from the dark aura and elongating shadows around Nico.

Nico finally looked up, his glare still prominent, but responded, "I never wanted to be influenced by Love again. To me, at least, Love is a monster," he said truthfully. "Eros proved that to me. The way he treated me… Well, I just don't want to ever have anything to do with Love again."

Nico returned to glaring at the ground.

"But you had to be asked to become asexual for that?" Percy finally asked.

Nico closed his eyes and sighed, dejected. "Look, I'm not destined for a happy ending in terms of love—"

"Dude!" Percy exclaimed. "You were _fourteen_! You had your entire life ahead of you to find someone!"

"I don't want anyone," Nico said tonelessly. "I'm not interested in a future in love. I'm only interested in a future of contentedness."

"So you took away all chance you might have to have someone with you?" Jason prompted.

"There's no one for me, Jason Grace," Nico said angrily. "The only one who cared about me for me was my sister, Bianca, and she died."

Percy flinched. These past few days, they had seen a non-moody Nico, and it almost seemed like he was returning to the happy-go-lucky kid that he and his friends had saved from Westover all those years ago, but suddenly, moody Nico was back.

"We accept you, man," Percy said softly. Nico tensed, but Percy continued, "Seriously, we all do. We all love you for you, too."

Nico just kept staring out at sea, but his anger seemed to fade away. At least, he wasn't glaring at everything in a fifty-mile radius anymore.

"It doesn't matter," he said finally, sounding dejected, "What's done is done. I'm the eternally chaste protector of demigods and the lieutenant of Athena. I made my decision."

Jason and Percy looked at each other sadly, not fully understanding their friend's decisions but realizing that this was the best they would get out of him.

"I'm sorry," Percy muttered. "I should have known."

Nico laughed without humor. "Percy, you're as blind as Tiresias when it comes to relationships."

"Who?" Percy asked.

"Seriously, bro?" Jason asked, exasperated.

"Hey!" Percy defended himself. "I usually have Annabeth or someone else always telling me who all these Ancient Greek and roman guys are. I never bothered to learn on my own."

Jason smacked him in the back of his head, and Percy wasn't sure if it was because of his stupidity or because of mentioning Annabeth when Nico was right there.

Nico just cracked up. "Well, Annabeth wasn't lying when she said that she didn't like you for your brains," he said, amused. Thankfully, he didn't seem to be affected by the way the conversation was going.

"Isn't that wonderful news," Percy said, making a face.

"Or any of the other people who liked you," Nico remarked casually with a grin.

Jason tried to keep himself from laughing at his friend's expense but failed, falling onto his back in laughter.

"So why do people like me?" Percy demanded, his pride a bit hurt.

Nico smirked. "Well I can't say for the rest, but for me, it was hero worship. You'll have to ask Calypso, Annabeth, Rachel, and Reyna what they saw in you because I can't explain their thought processes."

Percy pouted, and Nico joined Jason on the ground laughing.

"Dude, your face," Jason said in between laughs. "If you could see it!"

Said face quickly transformed into a scowl, and Perseus Jackson was one angry—amused—hero.

Finally, after all the laughter subsided, Jason commented, "We work well together."

"Unlike our fathers," Percy muttered.

In response, a tidal wave suddenly came out from sea and drenched the Son of Poseidon.

Jason and Nico were laughing all over again as Percy screamed at the sea "Thanks dad!" and pouted.

"Dude, you so deserve that," Nico said while continuing to laugh.

"Yes, yes you did," Jason agreed.

Percy pouted again but allowed himself to smile. He was making new friends with these guys. Sure, one was his patron or whatever, and the other was supposed to be his rival, but they were all friends here.

* * *

**Author's Note**: So yeah, that's Chapter 6!

I am looking for a beta reader for this story, so if you're interested, please tell me in either your review or send me a PM! :)

Also, I have a plot bunny in my head of a one-shot type deal revolving around Percy, Annabeth, and Nico. It kind of developed from reading one where Annabeth dies, and Percy tries to give Nico his happy ending since he won't have one. Mine came to me after watching _Catching Fire_ on Thursday night, and it's been bothering me ever since. Basically, Percy dies in battle, and he makes Nico promise that he will protect and save Annabeth as his dying wish. That's kind of the premise. Does anyone find it interesting or just me? Hahaha.

Also, if anyone can guess what I'm referring to when Zeus says "my grandmother's last act of kindness", I'll write a oneshot for you based on a prompt you give me! ;D (Hint: It deals with the pattern of mythology; it was something that actually happened in Greek Mythology, not something Riordan made up.)

As always, let me know what you guys think in a review! :D

**Review** **Replies**:

TheGoddessIsAlive: (Chapter 5) Thank you for your kind words! :D I worked really hard to get that cliffhanger right, so I'm very happy to know that it came out like I wanted! :D

Dragoman0106: (Chapter 5) Thank you! And as of right now, I plan to keep writin gthis story!

Silverlight10243: (Chapter 4) Well for now, they're both sworn to eternal chastity, so it's a bromance! :P

L6DaN97: (Chapter 5) Thank you so much for you well thought out and detailed review! I will keep it all in mind as I keep writing! :D

Lupita: (Chapter 5) No, don't due! It's only a fanfic! D:

The Son of Hades 123: (Chapter 5) LOL well, he's sworn to chastity for now, so it's all bromance at the moment. But we'll see where my muse takes me!


	7. Chapter 7: History

**Author's Note: **I had a lot of fun with this chapter, so I hope you guys like it! It has a bit of banter and good old character development along with a healthy mix of plot being developed. This fic is officially over 53k words! This is insane for me! I've never actually written something this long before, so this is a huge deal for me!

**_QUICK WARNING BEFORE YOU REA__D ON!_** There is a song in the last section of this chapter, and while it will seem easy to skip over and just read the prose parts, I really want you guys to read the song, too. It's very important!

As always, please let me know what you think in a review! :D

**Disclaimer: **_Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ and _The Heroes of Olympians_ and all things related are property of Rick Riordan and Disney Hyperion. I am not making any profit off of this work in any way, shape, or form.

Fort Olympus

* * *

**Chapter 7: History**

* * *

_The two green tridents met in the air. Athena had her back to the city, and Poseidon was standing with his back to the sea. The two rivals struck once again._

_The sea and the sky churned and responded to the duel of the two gods, each threatening to overthrow the other._

_After many strikes, counterattacks, and parries, Athena disarmed Poseidon. The Sea King's trident flew into her other hand, and she pointed both weapons at his throat._

_He changed into Neptune._

_"Good match," she said curtly, throwing his trident back to him._

_The scene melted away._

_Light poured through an opening in the clouds. The city of London sprawled out before them._

_"We will stay here until the United States fully defeats the United Kingdom," a female voice said curtly._

_"Good. We've been going back and forth for too long now."_

_The dream changed again._

_"Ah yes," the surroundings rumbled. "The heroes have decided to escape their haven. They've made the right choice. But perhaps they need… a bit more incentive."_

_The scene of New York burned away._

_In the throne room of the gods, the Council of Sixteen Olympians were gathered. None were on their thrones, but there was intense mingling and conversation within and amongst each other._

_"But why did it take so long?"_

_"Is it true that she's still not at peace?"_

_"Jesus, I thought having two forms was hard!"_

_"You know that we spent the same amount of time in Britain as we did Rome."_

_"Be careful of love, my daughter; I cannot protect you forever."_

_"Watch yourself, brother. She is millennia old, old enough to make her own decisions. Be careful how you tread."_

_"I can take care of myself, father. I am not a newly born babe that you must coo over. I know how to lead. I am your right-hand."_

Frank woke up from his dream, confused. He didn't know what that had been about even in the slightest. All he understood from what had happened these past few days was that something big was going to happen, and he was part of another Great Prophecy. He groaned. Literally, the last one involving him and his friends had ended two weeks ago. Couldn't they get a few months of peace before going off to war?

He cleared his head and returned to his sleep, barely registering that Nico's bed was empty.

* * *

"Couldn't sleep?"

Annabeth turned to see Nico approaching.

"Yeah," she responded after a minute. "You?"

He shrugged. They were both in bathrobes, looking towards the walls of the fort. Absentmindedly, she remembered that Divisions 4 and 5 were on duty tonight.

"Nightmares?" He asked after a minute.

She glanced at him through her peripheral vision. "How'd you know?"

"I've been to Hell, too, you know," he deadpanned.

Annabeth didn't respond and turns back to Temple Hill.

"Yeah," she finally said. "It was nightmares."

Nico nodded. "Do you want me to get Percy?" He offered.

Annabeth shook her head. "Let him sleep. We have a long day ahead of us."

After a pause, she looked at him out of the side of her eye. "Why are you up?"

He said nothing for a minute. "I was worried about the prophecy," he admitted.

She gave him a sad nod. "I can empathize."

She still found it slightly strange that she had to look up to face the kid who had been three inches shorter than her just two weeks ago.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

He turned to her with a blank expression. "What for?" He asks cautiously.

"I always thought you had a crush on me," she admitted. "I treated you so badly."

Nico waved it away. "It's okay. I'm used to being ignored and treated that way."

Annabeth didn't have anything to say to that.

"Did you know?" He asked finally.

"That you liked Percy?"

Nico eyes wouldn't meet hers, but he nodded.

"No," she admitted. "But I guess I'm not surprised too much."

He turned to her, surprised. "You're not mad?"

She laughed, a rich, full laugh at that. "Nico, why would I be mad? All you've ever done is protect Percy; you never tried to take him away from me."

"That didn't stop you from being jealous of Rachel," he pointed out.

"You're observant," she noted.

He snorted. "I'm the first Champion your mother's taken on since Odysseus; I would _hope_ that I was observant."

Annabeth smirked. "What I meant, Nico, is that Percy seemed interested in Rachel, so I was jealous of her. But he obviously had no interest I you."

Nico laughed. "Well, thank you for not putting me on the list of Annabeth Chase's enemies."

Annabeth scoffed. "Please, I'm not suicidal."

He raised his eyebrow in amusement. "And that's why Wisdom's Daughter is dating the Sea Prince, then?"

"I love him," she said defensively, but her grey eyes betrayed her amusement.

Nico chuckled. "Trust me, I know you love him. And that he loves you. Aphrodite said as much when she and the other gods asked me to take over the patronage of both Camps last year."

"Why did you do it?" she asked, curious.

"Why did I what?"

"Why did you become Patron of both Camps?"

Nico sat down, rubbing his temples. She didn't understand what was wrong.

"You okay?" She asked, kneeling down to meet his eye.

"Yeah," he responded, still rubbing his head. "Just a headache. Stupid Tartarus."

Annabeth looked at him sympathetically. She knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Anyway, I took it because someone had to, especially since we were on the verge of war."

Annabeth looked at him in surprise.

"Someone had to protect the heroes from dying before they had a chance to live."

"But you could have died yourself!"

Nico laughed bitterly. "I'm not needed, Annabeth. You know that. I'm just a plot device and a pawn in the overall chess game."

"No, you're not," she argued.

He raised his eyebrow at her. "Do you really believe that, or are you just trying to make me feel better?"

She was quiet for a minute. She remembered the only times she had ever even given Nico a second thought, when he was needed; when they needed an extra army, an extra fighter, a guide, or another demigod who could jump from place to place.

"You're more than a pawn, Nico," she said finally. "You deserve happiness, too."

"This is my happiness," he said, sounding completely unhappy. "Keeping the legacy of Hestia and Athena alive and protecting demigods so that they can keep saving the world. That is what I'm meant to do."

"You can be so much more than that."

Nico said nothing.

"Have you picked a lieutenant?" He finally asked.

"Huh?" She asked, confused.

"As Marshall. Have you picked your lieutenant?"

"No," she said. "I didn't feel the need to just yet."

"You should," he said sadly. "By the sounds of the stupid Great Prophecy again, it looks like we'll be going to war again soon."

"Let's stop thinking about that right now," she said urgently. "Nico, I really don't want to think about war again. I just want to enjoy the peace we have right now, even if it's only for a few days."

Nico laughed. "There's no such thing as peace when we're demigods."

Annabeth glared at him. "Okay, Mr. Optimism, let's _pretend_ that there's peace, why not?"

Nico shook his head in amusement. "Have you picked with units you'll be sending out to the other strongholds?"

Annabeth nodded. "Malcolm to Nashville, Dakota to Sonoma, and Larry to San Francisco."

Nico looked at her in worry. "Are you sure it's right to split up based on Greek/Roman lines?"

Annabeth hesitantly nodded. "I'm sending half-Roman and half-Greek units with them."

Nico nodded. "Hopefully they don't all kill each other."

The two observed the night around them for a while.

"Nico," Annabeth said softly and slightly in fear, "do you know who's Britannia?"

Nico looked at her oddly. "Before you mentioned her that day, I didn't even know that it was a thing. All I know is that stupid song that the Brits sing every year."

Annabeth snapped her eyes to him. "What song?" She asked sharply.

"Uh… I think it's called 'Rule Britannia' or something."

"Do you know the lyrics?"

Nico looked at her strangely. "Uh, some of them, yeah… Why?"

Annabeth's face broke into a grin. "That might be the key to the mystery," she muttered.

"Uh, sorry, Annabeth, but I'm not singing."

She laughed. "Don't worry, I don't want to hear what is your most _beautiful_ voice, I'm sure."

"I think it's time to return to our quarters now."

* * *

"Heroes and strategos," Annabeth called over the three docks. "You know your duties. All laws of Demigods apply while you are abroad at all times. Be mindful of enemies, protect your allies, and stay in touch with Fort Olympus. Be careful."

With Roman salutes to the Council of Demigods, the three triremes took off from the docks to go to their assigned strongholds. The _FOS Olympic_ was dispatched to Nashville. The _FOS Lion's Head_ was dispatched to Sonoma. The _FOS Demigod_ was dispatched to San Francisco with the largest detachment to defend Camp Jupiter.

"We will meet in the Council House for today's meeting in one hour's time, my colleagues," Annabeth said before turning away with Percy accompanying her.

The others left as well, leaving only Frank and Hazel on the beach.

"I had a dream last night," Frank admitted to his girlfriend.

Hazel turned to him in worry. "What was it about?"

He shared his dream with her.

Her eyebrows scrunched together, and she muttered Latin curses under her breath. "Do you know who said each of those lines?"

Frank was taken aback. "Uh, no," he admitted, feeling stupid. "What does it mean?"

Hazel shook her head. "I had the same dream last night," she admitted.

Frank was shocked. "What?"

Hazel nodded. "I didn't know what it meant, and I thought I was going insane. I wanted to ask Annabeth about it, but she wasn't in her bed when I woke up."

"Nico wasn't in his bed, either," Frank remembered.

"Do you think either of them know something?"

Frank thought about it for a second but shook his head. "If Annabeth knew anything, she would tell Percy. And Percy can't keep his mouth shut. I don't know about Nico, though."

"He might," Hazel said softly.

"Let's go find him," Frank said, determined.

"Sure you're not going to pee your pants on seeing my brother again?" Hazel teased.

Frank felt all the blood in his body rush to his face. "It was one time! And he threatened to kill me if I hurt you! I think I was allowed to be nervous."

Hazel cracked up. "Come on, Frank. Let's go find my overprotective older brother."

"He scares me," Frank admitted as Hazel led him towards Nico.

She raised her eyebrow at him. "Why?"

"Uh… He can summon armies of the dead with just a wave of his sword, he has the blessing of two Olympian gods, and he's the son of one of the Big Three. What's there to be afraid of?"

Hazel laughed again. "He's not as bad as you think he is," she promised.

"Doubt it—Hey!"

Frank pouted after Hazel had smacked his arm.

"And what can I help you two lovebirds with?" Nico asked, his voice emotionless and his eyes dark and foreboding.

"Frank and I had a dream last night, Nico," Hazel began.

Nico raised his eyebrow and motioned for the two to continue.

Nico's brows scrunched together in concentration after he heard what had happened in their dreams.

"You know what it's about, don't you?" Hazel asked, seeing the gears turning in his head.

"I have an idea now," he said.

"Well, what is it?" Frank demanded, peeved that Nico was hardly saying anything.

Nico shook his head. "I think it has to do with a prophecy."

"The one Rachel gave last week?" Hazel asked.

"No," Nico shook his head. "The oldest unfulfilled prophecy in history… One that stretches back to the First Titanomachy, ten thousand years ago…"

Frank and Hazel shared a look of worry, and Frank pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arm more firmly around her waist.

Nico watched the action impassively, but part of him disapproved.

"What do you mean, Nico?" Hazel asked, fear in her voice.

"I don't fully know myself," her brother admitted. "But I think… I need to see Annabeth."

He turned abruptly away from them and started walking briskly towards the Council House. "I'll see you guys later."

Frank and Hazel shared a look of worry and fear.

Hazel buried her face in his chest, letting her tears of fear through. "What's going on, Frank?" She muttered fearfully into his torso. "What are we going up against this time?"

Frank soothed her as best he could and kissed her, but he didn't know what to say. Truth be told, he himself was extremely worried. How could a ten-thousand-year-old prophecy be coming true _now_?

* * *

"You can't be serious," Annabeth said quietly. Percy had long since left for the arena to train with Jason and Piper. Nico had found her, and they'd gone to her personal office in the Council House.

Nico nodded sadly and fearfully. "I don't know all of the details, but I think that's what this all means."

"But didn't Zeus thwart that prophecy?"

"I don't know anything for sure," Nico admitted. "But I think this is at least part of the story."

"Okay, let's say for argument's sake for a second that this is correct, and that this is what all this new Prophecy and all means. But how does this whole Britannia stuff fit into the equation then?"

"I think we need to figure out who Britannia actually is first."

Annabeth sighed in frustration. "Life's never going to be easy for us, is it?"

Nico laughed. "Annabeth, we're demigods. Life was never easy for us to begin with, and as we get older, it only gets worse. You know this."

Annabeth gave him a half-hearted glare.

"Go," Nico said finally. "Go find Percy. I think he needs someone to make sure he doesn't skewer Jason on the battlefield."

Nico saw the gears in Annabeth's head turning. "No," she decided. "We're going to go find Jason and Percy. I need to test out my theory. Go find Thalia and meet me at the arena in ten minutes. Hurry!"

With that, Annabeth sprinted out of the room, and Nico left a minute later to follow the orders of his Marshall, still confused.

* * *

"Annabeth wants us in the arena," he told Thalia after finding her in the main temple.

The Sky Princess raised her eyebrow. "Why?"

Nico shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Well then, let's not keep her waiting shall we?"

The two rushed to the arena, where Piper, Reyna, and Annabeth were sitting on the bleachers and Percy and Jason were standing in the fighting arena.

"Okay, Annabeth," Jason began. "We're all here. Now what do you want?"

"Wait," Reyna interrupted, turning to her fellow Daughter of War, "Are you sure you don't want Hazel here, too?"

Annabeth nodded. "Hazel was never trained like these four. She doesn't have the same sort of recklessness or fire that these four have—"

Said four children of the Big Three began loudly protesting but Annabeth spoke over them. "And until we have a Daughter of Neptune with us, I'm not going to be testing out my other theory."

"Wait, what theory?" Percy questioned.

Annabeth turned her withering glare to her soul mate. He flinched. "If you would let me finish for once, _Seaweed Brain_," she admonished in exasperation, "you would find out, now wouldn't you?"

Percy squeaked out a "Sorry!" much to the amusement of everyone around him.

"Anyway, I've been meaning to ask you guys to do a training session together ever since we were in that siege last week."

"Huh?" The four (Thalia, Nico, Percy, and Jason) asked.

"Honestly, sometimes I don't understand why the children of the Big Three are always the most stupid demigods," Annabeth said, annoyed.

"But that's why we always fall in love with the smartest demigods," Percy grinned cheekily.

Annabeth's face flushed but she glared at her boyfriend. Everyone else laughed at their antics.

"_Anyway_, my point is that on the battlefield, when Percy, Nico, and Jason were executing Battle Formation 86 Delta, they were basically a whole division of soldiers all by themselves. So I've been wondering if we could replicate that and make you guys into a weapon of destruction for Fort Olympus."

"Gee, thanks for saying we're nothing more than a weapon, Annabeth," Percy said.

"You're so lucky I love you, Percy, or you would be dead by now."

Percy merely gave her his traditional mischievous grin. "You know you love me."

Annabeth glared at him but continued. "Anyway, since Percy, Jason, and Nico were such a formidable force, I was wondering if we could make it even stronger if Thalia took part, too."

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Jason asked.

"The plan is to have two mock duels against Division 1, which will be commanded by Reyna and myself. The first mock duel will be all four of you. The second mock duel will be just Jason, Nico, and Percy. Got it?"

The four children of the Big Three nodded.

* * *

"Well that was easy enough to decipher," Annabeth said after both mock duels. "Division 1, you are dismissed."

The heroes marched out.

"Okay, Thals, uh, so let's not ever have you fight alongside these guys. You're too much like your father."

Thalia smirked while the three Princes just looked at her wearily.

Simply put, the four of them hadn't worked well together. Thalia had immediately taken charge, and she did everything opposite of what the other three were doing. "I like my independence," Thalia said simply.

Annabeth nodded. "So Battle Formation 86 Delta will remain as it is. But, I do want to make one change."

They turned to her in question.

"I want Percy and Nico to change positions—"

A loud blast came from behind the arena just at that moment, interrupting whatever Annabeth was about to say next.

"Drill it again," someone ordered.

The Councilors exchanged looks of confusion before going to see what was going on.

Around the corner, they saw Leo holding a blast of fire from his hands. It was going out thirty feet, but strangely, it wasn't incinerating anything in its path. Leo had immaculate control.

"Enough!" someone on the other side ordered.

The flame vanished, and Leo stood there panting.

"Better," Calypso said. "But you need to focus on your breathing. And hit the gym more. You can't expect to learn how to control your powers with a scrawny body like that!"

Leo's face flushed but nodded. "Yes, Calypso."

"What is going on here?" Percy demanded. His and Jason's eyes were flashing.

Leo turned to them with a grin on his face. "Hey guys!" He waved them over. "Calypso's teaching me how to use my fire powers."

"What does that mean?"

"She's teaching me how to use my powers," Leo repeated. "Just like Percy can control water or Jason can control air. Calypso's teaching me how to control fire."

Percy and Jason exchanged confused looks.

"How do you know anything about fire control?" Jason asked Calypso.

"I'm a goddess, Jason Grace," she replied coldly. "I have seen many things in my lifetime, many which you would never even be able to dream of. I can teach Leo how to take control of his fears and lead his way through life with more strength and courage."

After a moment of awkward silence, Reyna spoke up. "We will leave you to it, then. Be careful not to burn anything or anyone important, Leo." She looked sharply at Leo, as though she still hadn't forgiven him for having fired upon New Rome. "Come, my fellow Councilors. We have other business to attend to," she ordered.

The others of the Council of Demigods retreated, leaving Leo and Calypso to their own.

* * *

"Care to spar?" Jason asked Percy, who was hacking away at a dummy in the arena.

Percy turned to him with a raised eyebrow. He shrugged and nodded.

Jason pulled his gladius, and Percy drew Riptide.

Within two minutes of sparring, Jason was disarmed, and Percy's sword was at Jason's throat.

Jason looked at him in shock.

Percy capped his sword and gave Jason an apologetic look. "Sorry man."

"Dude!" Jason burst out, half indignant and half amused, "that was crazy!"

"Yeah, well, you know." Percy shrugged.

"How did Nico stand for so long against you in those war games?" Jason asked, finally understand how Percy had defeated Ares, the god of war himself, in single combat when he was a mere twelve-year-old.

"I don't know," Percy admitted. "Nico's the first demigod I've sparred with since Luke who actually managed to stay up with me for so long."

"Percy, I heard a lot of rumors and legends about you when I came to Camp Half-Blood. People here looked at you like you were a god."

Percy's ears turned slightly pink at that.

"As a curious friend, can I ask you what all you've done?" Jason finished.

Percy looked away to the Athena Parthenos on the docks for a minute before nodding. "I think we need to be at the Council House now. The meeting's going to start soon. How about we chat over dinner and exchange stories? I've heard a lot about you, too, at Camp Jupiter."

Percy gave a grudging smile to Jason, one which the Sky Prince returned.

* * *

"I swear," Percy grumbled as he and Jason sat down with their food, "Annabeth makes those meetings boring on purpose just to make me mad."

Jason cracked a smile. "You know that's not true."

"Whatever," Percy muttered before wolfing down his four slices of pizza.

"So what's your story?" Jason asked.

"You first," Percy shot back.

Jason's eyes glazed over as he thought back to his childhood, something that seemed so far away and long gone now.

"I don't know what else to tell you. You already know most of it. Thalia was born nine years before me. Our mom was an alcoholic. Thalia was born to Zeus; I was born to Jupiter. Hera was furious that Zeus had broken his oath twice. And Zeus offered her my life as her Champion at the age of two."

He knew he shouldn't sound so bitter towards his Patron's actions, but Jason couldn't help it. Percy patted his back in sympathy.

"Anyway, Hera said that a Greek and Roman demigod being born to the same family had never happened, so she separated us. She claims that it was for my own safety—"

"But you still don't buy it."

"Mother Hera," both Jason and Percy bowed to their Patron Goddess, who had formed out of thin air right across the table from them. She was wearing her Greek chiton with her hair down and a lotus flower bracelet. The platinum crown that signified her as the Queen of Olympus rested on her brow.

"No need to give me fake respect and honor, my Champions," she smiled wryly. "I know that neither of you have any affection for me."

"Yeah, well, do you expect me to?" Jason snapped at the Queen. "You steal my life away at the age of two, and you wonder why I don't respect or like you."

"On the contrary, Jason. I am well aware of your reasons as to why you dislike me. And to be fair, you have right. But you must understand that the right action is never the most popular one. I did what I had to do to keep my family safe from civil war. And whether you like it or not, you _are_ part of my family. You are my stepson and my nephew."

"Isn't that weird, though?" Percy piqued in.

"My brother and husband…" Hera mulled. "You get used to it."

"Not to be rude, Aunt Hera," Jason interrupted, "but why are you here?"

Hera gave him a sad smile. "I am here to tell you both each other's stories, those which you might not even know yourselves."

Jason and Percy exchanged confused looks.

"I took you away from your mother and sister when you were young, Jason, for two reasons. One, I freely admit that I was furious with Zeus' infidelity, especially after having taken the oath to have no demigod children. Two, I did it so you and your sister wouldn't have destroyed each other in the traditional Greek and Roman civil wars."

"But why would we have destroyed each other?"

"Jason, you weren't around for the last two millennia to observe the West's civil wars and revolutions. You don't understand how bad it would have been, and as children of the Sky King, you and your sister would have powers to rip each other apart sinew by sinew. As much as you hate me for what I did, you need to realize that I did it to keep you and your sister safe from each other's wrath."

Jason looked unconvinced.

Hera gave him a sad look. "Like I told you before, Jason, I am the goddess of the family. It is not in my nature to hate my own family, no matter what I've done in the past. I've done horrible things to all of my godly children, the worst to Hephaestus. But in the end, I want my family to stay together. And to make sure my two stepchildren wouldn't kill each other, I had to separate you. I was given a prophecy by the Fates right after World War I that I would cause great grief to my two stepchildren through separation, but when the time was right, I would reunite them. And unless the rift between Greece and Rome was healed, it would not be the right time to reintroduce them together. I did what I had to do."

Jason looked at the table sadly. "You could have at least told me."

"Jason, you were two," Hera laughed bitterly. "I don't quite think you would have understood if I had told you then. You need to understand that I did what I had to do in order to keep my family from destroying each other. And even if you don't realize it, I have been protecting you from the beginning. I do not abandon my Champions, even if they are the illegitimate children of my husband. After Jupiter gave you to me as Juno as my Champion, I swore on the River Styx that I would protect you from Jupiter's wrath."

Hera changed into her Roman form with the goatskin cloak and a golden scepter in her hand.

"I led you through all your quests, and I showed you the right way."

"So what did you do to protect me as your Champion, Queen Hera?" Percy asked bitterly.

Juno smiled wryly. "I will get to you, My Favored One. Be patient."

Percy looked shocked at the title Juno gave him.

"You joined Camp Jupiter at the age of three, and you served almost thirteen full years in the Twelfth Legion Fulminata, the chosen legion of Jupiter himself. You went on many quests, beginning with your first one at the age of thirteen. By the time you were fourteen, you were elected praetor. You defeated the Titan Krios and the Giant Enceladus, probably your greatest achievements. But you have killed many monsters and led many assaults and battles. I commend you, My Champion. And understand that whether or not you love me, I _do_ love you as the son I never had. I always watched over you; I always protected you. I was watching over you whenever you needed help. I kept your path as safe as I could, and even when I wasn't able to protect you directly, I made sure you had help. I sent you towards Reyna's companionship, and I sent you towards the friendship of Piper and Leo. I did what I could to protect you from the wrath of the world."

Jason looked at his Patron in a new light. He sighed. "Mother Hera, you know that I'm not going to just start loving you after that speech, right?"

Juno laughed. "I'm a goddess, my Champion. I've seen people rise and fall for thousands of years. I know what will and won't happen. I know what how humans act. I have no illusion that either of you two will start to love after our meeting today, but I do want you both to hear my sides of your life stories."

Jason nodded. "Thank you," he said honestly. "I appreciate it, Mother Hera."

Hera gave him a sad smile. "Anyway, Percy, you wanted Jason's life story. I gave you what I could. Do you want the other details?"

Percy looked between Hera and Jason. "I don't know," he admitted. "It sounds like he's had a rough life."

Hera burst out laughing. "Percy, compared to your life, Jason's wasn't that bad at all, and you know it."

Percy looked down, avoiding their eyes, and Jason looked at Percy in shock. Hearing that, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know Percy's story all of a sudden.

"Percy, Jason faced many monsters in his life, but because of the nature of the legion, not nearly as many as you have. There's a reason you're considered the greatest demigod of all time."

Percy looked at Hera in sadness. "I don't want to be called that, Aunt Hera. I hate it," he admitted. "If I was truly the greatest demigod of all time, I wouldn't have made so many mistakes and hurt as many people as I did."

"Percy," Jason said softly, "you're human, a hero, yes, but still a human. All humans make mistakes. The gods know how many I've made."

Thunder boomed at that. Hera waved her hand in annoyance, and the thunder stopped.

"Jason's right, Percy," the Queen turned to Percy. "What makes you great isn't necessarily what you've achieved. It's what you decided to do, and it's the fact that you learned from your mistakes. Very few heroes learned from their mistakes, but you are one of the few. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself."

Percy didn't meet their eyes.

"You wanted to know of my Champion's life story, Jason," Hera said, "I will relate it."

Percy looked at the goddess.

"Percy, when you were born, your mother prayed to me to protect you from Zeus' wrath. She knew that Zeus wouldn't be happy. She sacrificed a lot to get my goodwill. I appeared before you as a babe, probably not more than two months old, and gave you my blessing. In thanks for the promise to protect you from Zeus' wrath, your mother offered your life to me as my Champion."

"It's why I'm so loyal to my family, isn't it?" Percy asked softly. "I'm the Champion of the Goddess of Family."

"To be honest, Percy," Hera said sadly, "I don't know how much of your loyalty to those you love comes from me and how much is in your nature. I think you loved your family even before I was involved. My blessing just made that love stronger."

Percy looked at the goddess thoughtfully.

"After I took you on as my Champion, your mom did what she could to protect you, and combined with my blessing and Poseidon's love for you, we managed to protect you for twelve years. I'm so sorry that I couldn't protect you longer."

Hera looked at her Champion in grief. "I wish I could have protected you longer. I wish you didn't have to go on your first quest at the age of twelve with virtually no training—"

"Hold up," Jason interrupted. "You went on your first quest when you were _twelve_?"

Percy didn't respond, and he turned his gaze back down.

Hera smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, yes, Jason, he did. But not only that, Percy killed his first two monsters, a Fury and the Minotaur, with zero training at twelve."

Jason gaped at Percy. "Dude, no way!"

"Yes, way," Hera said, amused. "But don't worry, my son, he's done much more than that. His first quest was to the Underworld. He defeated Medusa, Procrustes, Ares' boar, Ares himself, and Luke Castellan all at the age of twelve. If that wasn't enough, he fought and defeated Laistrygonians, the Colchis bulls, the Stymphalian birds, the Hydra, and a whole bunch of other monsters on his second quest at thirteen. He defeated the Nemean Lion, a prototype of Talos, the Manticorn, and undead warriors at the age of fourteen on his winter quest to save Artemis. He killed two empousae, the Cyclops Antaeus, hundreds of dracanae, Geryon, many hellhounds, and many other monsters on his summer quest into the Labyrinth. There is no count to how many monsters he's killed in the Battle of Manhattan. His feats after the Battle of Manhattan are legendary. In his life, he has defeated Ares in combat as well as the Titans Atlas, Iapetus, and Hyperion. He has also defeated the giants Polybotes, Porphyrion, Agrios, and Pallas."

"Queen Hera," Percy interrupted, embarrassed, "I did all that with a ton of help."

"That's true," Hera conceded, "but you fail to ever accept your own accomplishments, so I am doing it for you. My Champion, you deserve all the credit you get, even though you don't actually want it. You are known on Olympus as the 'Bane of All Monsters', 'the Greatest Demigod of all time', and the 'Human God'."

Percy slumped down. "I don't want to be called that."

"Oh, but my son, you already are called that."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," Percy halfheartedly argued.

Hera gave him a proud smile. "I'm glad you're my Champion, Percy, even if you resent and hate the fact that I am. I'm proud to be your Patron Goddess, even though you don't want me around."

Percy sighed. "That's not true, Queen Hera," he admitted. "I'm proud to be your Champion, but I wish you would tell me why you hadn't paid for Nico's passage through Geryon's ranch."

Tears began to fall from Hera's eyes. "You must understand, Percy, that Nico's path is his own. He must prove his worth and loyalty to whomever he chooses by himself. The Moirai have left him be, and the gods have been careful when interfering with his life as well. I wanted to help him, trust me when I say I did, but I couldn't."

"You said that he didn't belong," Percy said dangerously.

"I never really believed that. Nico di Angelo is the most powerful demigod of all time. You are the greatest, but he is the most powerful. He has achieved things and powers that you both can only imagine. His power and birthright ascend straight through the ancient thrones."

Percy and Jason exchanged confused looks. "What birthright?" Percy asked suspiciously.

Hera gave him a wan smile. "It is part of the latest Great Prophecy. You will understand after it is finished. Let me just put it this way: There is a reason that my husband fears his brothers. And there is an even stronger reason that my husband fears Nico even more now. If Nico wanted to…"

Hera stopped herself. "Well, just suffice it to say that he is more than just the Patron of Demigods. So far, he seems to have chosen our side, and for the sake of humanity and the Flame of the West, I hope he will continue to do so. My sister is the wisest and oldest of all of us. I trust her judgment. My husband and brother might not, but I sense loyalty in young Nico. But I also sense fear."

"What do you mean?" Jason demanded.

"Nico has been abandoned by everyone and everything he had ever held dear. The only constant in his life was death. His father preferred his sister to him. His mother died. His sister died. His stepmother hates him. All of the people he considered to be his friends have abandoned him. And he was ignored by the one person who promised never to forget him after the Second Titanomachy."

Percy flinched and looked down—that would be him.

"Fear has moved into his heart where trust should be," Hera said softly. "He doesn't want to believe that this is real. So far, the only constant he's ever had was my eldest Sister's patronage. He even fears that one day Athena will turn on him. He still believes that nothing is permanent. He doesn't want to open up about his past to anyone because he's tried of being abandoned by those he trusts. He doesn't want to take the chance anymore."

"We'll change that," Percy and Jason said in determination, steel glints in their eyes.

Hera smiled at both of them sadly. "I know you both do you best, but you must understand that a lot would have to change for him to change his perspective on life, and he won't be so quick to trust you after all you've done in the past to him, Percy."

"I'm not proud of what I did," Percy whispered, ashamed.

Hera gave him a sympathetic look. "I know, Percy, but you must realize that in your quest to save all of your family, you had forgotten the one family member who probably needed your attention most. To save your love, you gave up the one who needed your support and protection most."

"I will give it to him now," Percy growled, determined. "I will protect him now."

Hera shook her head sadly. "You can't protect him anymore Percy. You had your chance. It's his turn and responsibility now. He is the one who protects you, now. And it's been this way for a year now. You must understand that it's too late for you to make amends. He's already given up on ever having friends. He's taken on his role of protector and accepted his mantle. He is your patron now, not the other way around."

"With all due respect, Queen Hera," Percy said, annoyed, "you've watched over me for my whole life. You of all people should know that I don't follow the will of the Fates or the gods easily. If I want to do something, I will do it."

"You're not going against the will of either the Fates or the gods with this, Percy. Here, you're going against the will of Nico di Angelo, which is a whole different matter. If you want to help him see that he is still accepted and a part of your family, you will have to do more than just protect him now. And you're not out of this, Jason. You treated Nico at Camp Jupiter the same way Percy treated him at Camp Half-Blood. I know you both want to make amends with the Ghost King, but if you want to, you will have to do more than just protect him."

The queen stopped her speech and looked at both of her Champions sadly.

After a minutes' silence, she spoke again, "Oh, and Percy, know that I will not curse your wedding if you decide to get married, or you, Jason. Percy, you've found true love. Trust me when I tell you this: This is the rarest of the rare. Cherish it and protect it. And when you're ready to get married, just let me know. I will bless your marriage with all of my power. Good luck, my Champions. I am proud of you both."

Percy looked at Hera in shock while Jason looked down at his lap, thinking about how he had to admit to Cupid that he still wasn't sure if he had found true love or not.

"Lady Hera," Percy said softly. "Thank you. Thank you for protecting me and for teaching me the importance of family. Thank you for being my patron and for putting up with my craziness. You aren't as bad as the myths say you are."

Hera laughed bitterly. "Yeah, well, that's what happens when the country you're patron of is actually misogynistic."

"Wait a minute," Jason interrupted. "_You_ were patron of Greece?"

"Jason, you've read _The Iliad,_" Hera said. "What are the Greeks called?"

Jason looked at her in confusion.

"Achaeans," Percy interrupted, "Danaans, and Argives."

Hera nodded and motioned for Percy to continue.

Jason still looked confused, but understanding slowly began to dawn onto Percy's face.

"The _Argives_," he muttered. "_The people of Argos_, your holy city."

Hera nodded.

"It wasn't just your holy city, was it?" Percy guessed.

Hera shook her head. "When the Greeks said _Argos_, they were not just referring to the city-state. They were referring to the whole country. So yes, I was patron of all of Greece."

"But I thought you were Patron of the Roman Empire?" Jason asked in confusion.

"I was the Patron of the City of Rome," Hera corrected. "The Capitoline Triad were the Patrons of the Empire."

"Juno, Minerva, and Jupiter," Jason remembered.

Hera nodded again.

"But wait," Percy interrupted. "Why is Athena always portrayed and described as the Patron of Greece, then?"

"Ah that's the great mystery, isn't it?" Hera smiled. "Out of all of us, Athena has the most forms. Well, she's tied with another god, but he's not as important as Athena's forms."

"What?" Percy asked, perturbed.

"Every nation that the West has a part of has a different version of the Olympian gods. And all of these nations have a national personification. It just matters where you will find it. Athena was the national personification of Greece, but she was also the Patron of many other countries. I give you this hint: Britannia is perhaps her most famous form that isn't Greek or Roman."

Percy and Jason exchanged looks of confusion yet again.

"Who is Britannia?" Jason exploded. "We've been hearing that stupid name every day these past two weeks, and not a single one of us knows what it is."

Thunder boomed, and a trident materialized just where Jason's hand was a minute ago, its points thrust into the table.

Hera looked amused. "I wouldn't call the goddess of wisdom and battle strategy 'stupid', Jason. Trust me, if you get on her bad side, not even _I_ could protect you."

"Wait," Percy said. "So that means Athena is Britannia?"

"It's one of her forms," Hera replied.

"How many forms does she have?"

"Enough," Hera said. And with a smile, she vanished.

"Well that was helpful," Jason muttered.

"Actually, I think it was…" Percy said.

Jason looked at him like he'd gone crazy. "You okay dude?"

Percy nodded absentmindedly.

* * *

That night, Annabeth's dream was no better than the one she had of Tartarus the night before.

_Two people were getting married. Both had flowing dark hair. They were both facing Hera in front of them, so she couldn't tell who they were._

_The scene was faded and was replaced of Royal Albert Music Hall. She didn't know how this was, but she knew it was true. The Hall was full to the brim. The stage had a full orchestra and choir, and the audience was wearing clothes that clearly didn't belong at a classical music concert._

_To large applause, a woman entered the stage from left as the orchestra had already picked up the melody._

_She was dressed in a traditional Greek chiton, had a shield on her left arm, held a green trident in her right, and had a helmet over her head._

_Behind the orchestra and choir, Athena stood in the exact same garb and weaponry as the woman in front of the orchestra. Somehow, Annabeth knew that she was the only one who could see Athena in the Hall._

_The melody ended and the woman, obviously an opera singer, picked up the tune._

_Just as the woman began singing, the scene of Royal Albert Hall vanished, but somehow the singing still came through._

_When Britain first, at Heaven's command  
Arose from out the azure main;  
Arose, arose, arose from out the azure main;  
This was the charter; the charter of the land,  
And guardian angels sang this strain:  
"Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves!  
"Britons never, never, never shall be slaves."_

_As the first verse swam over her, Athena, in this form with the trident and shield, stood on the flagship of a fleet of about 300 ships. She looked out at sea with a deadly power, her grey eyes glinting with hatred at her enemies._

_The nations, not so blest as thee,  
Must, in their turns, to tyrants fall;  
Must in their turn, to tyrants fall!  
While thou shalt flourish, shalt flourish great and free,  
The dread and envy of them all.  
"Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves:  
"Britons never, never, never shall be slaves."_

_The world map flashed over her with 40% of the world's landmass covered in the Union Jack—the British Empire. Athena stood over the map, glaring at her realms._

_Still more majestic shalt thou rise,  
More dreadful from each foreign stroke;  
More dreadful, dreadful from each foreign stroke!  
As the loud blast, the blast that tears the skies,  
Serves but to root thy native oak.  
"Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves:  
"Britons never, never, never will be slaves."_

_Athena grew larger and more powerful, a hurricane forming around her as she stood over the world and glared around her._

_Thee haughty tyrants ne'er shall tame:  
All their attempts to bend thee down,  
All their, all their attempts to bend thee down!  
Will but arouse, arouse thy generous flame;  
But work their woe, and thy renown.  
"Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves:  
"Britons never, never, never will be slaves."_

_Around Athena, blood spewed from the conquered lands, red, fresh blood that soaked into the hem of her chiton and stained it. She didn't seem to mind, though, and continued to glare at everything around her._

_To thee belongs the rural reign;  
Thy cities shall with commerce shine:  
Thy cities, thy cities shall with comerce shine!  
All thine, all thine shall be the subject main,  
And every shore it circles thine.  
"Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves:  
"Britons never, never, never will be slaves."_

_Athena lorded over the city of London with her trusty trident and hoplite shield at her arms. She overlooked and protected the entire state. Her eyes reflected her anger and passion and her dedication to her duty._

_The Muses, still with freedom found,  
Shall to thy happy coast repair;  
Shall to thy happy, happy coast repair!  
Blest Isle with matchless, With matchless beauty crown'd!  
And manly hearts to guard the fair.  
"Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves:  
"Britons never, never, never will be slaves."_

_The Nine Muses took form behind Athena as the goddess of warfare watched over the armies of Britain overrun the world map. She was ruthless, she was powerful, she was the act of killing itself. She could contain her people, but she refused. She encouraged them to conquer everything known to this world, to bring the whole world under her arm. The operating voice of the woman from Royal Albert Hall had long since vanished._

_The Muses sang the chorus once again: "_Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves!_"_

_Athena raised and swirled her trident, and the English Channel broke into tsunamis in response to the goddess' actions, and the Earth underneath her feet shook and cracked open._

_Athena turned to Annabeth, and Annabeth didn't know if the goddess even recognized her own daughter like this. There was a fire and hatred in Athena's eyes, as if she was not in control of her own emotions. Annabeth was terrified of her mother. She looked like Ares, the god of raw warfare. She forced down the fear filling her heart and faced her mother. Athena's eyes looked like bombs exploding, and her hair seemed like a series of torpedoes._

_"You united me, My Daughter," the goddess said, pride in her voice. "Now bring my third self to Olympus. Bring me my husband. Give me my fate. Find my crown. I am BRITANNIA IDES."_

_Athena threw her trident at Annabeth—_

Annabeth snapped awake and rose form her bed, reaching for her throat. She was sure that Athena had skewered her throat when she had thrown that spear, but apparently not.

"Mom," she whispered into the night air. "What's going on?"

"Annabeth, you okay?" Piper asked from the bed beside.

Annabeth didn't say anything.

She collapsed back onto her bed, trying and failing to forget the maddened look in Athena's eyes as Britannia; it had terrified Annabeth. She was worried of what was happening...

Athena was supposed to be the goddess of logical warfare, _not_ the mindless killer that she had just seen Britannia be—that was Ares' realm.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I'm very happy with this chapter. I struggled a bit with writing the beginning, but I got more and more confident as I kept writing. I hope you guys like it!

Also, if you're curious about which version of "Rule Britannia!" I had in mind when I wrote the scene, it would be Gwyneth Jones' version from the Last Night of the Proms from 1991.

As always, let me know what you think by leaving a review! :D

**Review Replies**:

Lupita: (Chapter 6) I'm glad you like it! :D I don't have much Nico in this chapter directly, but I hope you like what I've done with him here! And thank you for your kind words! I've never had people actually like my writing this much, so this means a lot to me. Thanks!

Son of Dragon: (Chapter 6) Thanks for your kind words! I will definitely be trying to keep a good balance between humor and seriousness as I keep writing! :)

Geek4Greek: (Chapter 6) Ah thank you so much! You have no idea how happy that makes me! I _love_ writing this piece, so I'm definitely going to keep writing it! I'm not done yet! :D And I'm so sorry I made you stay up that late reading it hahahaha. On the other hand, thank you for liking my fic so much to do so! :D

TheGoddessIsAlive: (Chapter 6) Thanks! I've just started writing that oneshot, so it'll hopefully be up within a few days to two weeks or so! I'm really looking forward to posting it! :) And I hope you like how it's all turning out to be so far! :D

The Son of Hades123: (Chapter 6) That is not it but good guess! That's actually fanon haha; it never happened in Greek Mythology for real. And of course! I'm glad you like my story enough to keep reading! It means a lot to me!

TylerJacksonJr: (Chapter 6) Percy should become like Nico? Hm... What do you mean?


	8. Chapter 8: Epiphany

**Author's Note**: This chapter ended up being a lot longer than I had initially expected it to be. I'm not completely happy with how some of the things in here worked out, but overall, I think it's moving the plot along nicely while at the same time giving the main characters enough focus on their development as well as their interpersonal relationships. At least, I hope so...

Also! That oneshot I talked about a couple chapters ago is completed and now up on my profile! It's called "Her Happy Ending"! If you guys are interested in it, please check it out and let me know what you think if a review!

As always, thanks for reading, and please review and tell me what you think about the chapter! :D

**Disclaimer: **_Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ and _The Heroes of Olympians_ and all things related are property of Rick Riordan and Disney Hyperion. I am not making any profit off of this work in any way, shape, or form.

Fort Olympus

* * *

**Chapter 8: Epiphany**

* * *

"The Elgin Marbles need to be returned to the Greeks," Ryan told the Council at large.

"And what does this have to do with us or our current struggles, Augur?" Annabeth asked.

"I received a vision last night, saying that the Elgin Marbles are key to the new prophecy."

"Woah, hold on, time out," Percy called. "What are the Elgin Marbles?"

"They're a series of marble sculptures made by Phidias, the same guy who made the Athena Parthenos," Piper explained. "In the ancient days, they were part of the Parthenon, and like everything that was part of the Parthenon, they were considered sacred to Athena."

Annabeth nodded. "Pretty much everything in the city of Athens was sacred to my mother at one point or another, but the Elgin Marbles are part of a larger series of sculptures by Phidias, including the Athena Parthenos and the Athena Promachos, that depict the rise of Athens and the glory of Athena."

"Okay, so we just go back to Athens, sneak into the Acropolis Museum, steal some ancient marble sculptures, and hightail it back home. Seems like a normal quest," Frank remarked.

Piper shook her head. "It's not that easy, Frank. And they're no longer in Greece."

Piper turned to Annabeth for confirmation. Annabeth nodded.

"In 1798, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, the Seventh Earl of Elgin, took the sculptures from Greece and brought them back home to London. They now rest in the British Museum."

"Wait," Jason interrupted. "Why did he steal them?"

"Thomas Bruce was a Son of Athena when the gods were still in Britain. He knew that the marbles would have power to infuse the British with the type of power they needed to rule the world, so he stole them from Greece. He understood the power of Athena and the power of those artifacts sacred to her."

"So he stole them to give the British military power?" Hazel asked.

Annabeth nodded.

"Seems like a lot of empires like stealing symbols of military power," Thalia muttered.

"Anyway, why do we have to retrieve them and put them back in the possession of the Greek demigods, Ryan?" Reyna interrupted.

Ryan looked nervous; he and Rachel exchanged looks of trepidation. "The goddess Athena has been unified of her Greek and Roman forms, but she still has another form," Ryan began.

"Britannia," Jason and Percy interrupted together.

The two of them shared a look, remembering their conversation with Hera the day before.

Annabeth glared at the table in front of her, trying to force down the fear and desperation filling her heart.

Ryan and Rachel nodded together.

"After Greece and Rome, the gods spent the most time in Britain. In fact, they spent almost the same amount of time in Rome and Britain," Rachel said.

"About 500 years, until 1945," Frank commented.

Rachel nodded.

"Wait," Hazel interrupted. "How do you know this?"

Rachel smiled wryly. "I am the Oracle of Delphi, Councilor Levesque. I have constant visions of the past, the present, and the future."

"Okay, not to say that history lessons aren't interesting and all," Thalia interrupted, "but why does any of this matter? What does this have to do with Athena and Britannia? And what does this all have to do with the new Great Prophecy?"

"Athena took on a new form in Britain, didn't she?" Reyna asked Rachel.

Rachel hesitated but nodded. "I think so. At least from all the visions I've been having lately about Athena, it seems like she took on the form of a sea goddess in Britain."

"Wait, but Poseidon's the god of the sea!" Percy said, indignant.

"And how many sea gods have you met in your life other than old daddy dear, Percy?" Nico shot back.

Percy glared at his friend but stood down at that.

"It makes sense," Annabeth said softly, still glaring at the table in front of her. "And it matches the dreams I've been having for the past few days."

"What dreams?" Percy demanded.

Annabeth shook her head, not wanting to answer, and for the first time since the Battle of Marathon, there was legitimate fear in Annabeth's eyes. Percy's gaze immediately softened, and he put his arms around her.

"_Rule Britannia!_" Nico whispered. Everyone turned to him in question.

Nico looked at Annabeth. "That's the answer, isn't it?"

Annabeth nodded without meeting his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Thalia demanded.

Nico took a deep breath before explaining. "I don't know how, but somehow, the gods stayed in Britain long enough for them to take third forms, well, at least one of the god's. And it just happens to be Athena."

"It actually makes perfect sense," Leo interrupted.

Everyone turned to him in shock; he had said nothing up until now.

"If you think about it, the gods would have stayed in Greece until roughly 450 BCE, when the Roman Republic became the main center of Western Civilization. And then, they would left Rome and gone back to Greece before the creation of the Byzantine Empire, probably around 250 BCE. In the Byzantine Empire, they were Greek. That's roughly 700 years as Roman. If 700 years in Rome is enough time for all of them to evolve into different forms, I don't see why their being in Britain for almost the same amount of time wouldn't be lead to Athena having a British form."

Jason whistled at his friend appreciatively. "Never knew you had it in you, Repair Boy."

Jason's arm hair singed, causing him to yelp. Leo merely smirked at Jason, causing the Sky Prince to glare at him. The others chuckled at their antics.

"You're right, Leo," Rachel confirmed. "The gods stayed in the Byzantine Empire until roughly 700 AD. From 700 to 1450 or so, they moved all over Europe before finally settling in England. And they stayed in England until 1945, when America became the center of the West after Britain became bankrupt and unable to police the world. That's, give or take, about 500 years in Britain. In that time, I don't know how since no one actually worshipped the gods in these Christian countries, Athena developed her third form, known as Britannia."

"Annabeth," Percy asked gently, "do you know what's going on?"

Annabeth didn't meet his eyes but nodded. She looked fearful.

"I've been having dreams about Britannia lately," she said softly. "It's always my mother. She stays as Athena, but she's… different. She's obviously a goddess of war as Britannia, but she's terrifying… like she can't control her own impulses… like she's a ruthless killer… like she's a tyrant just waiting to take over the world."

The Councilors went into silence upon hearing that.

"No matter where in the West we are or at what time period," Nico said, taking the attention off Annabeth, "the people who are directly influenced by the gods do honor them. There's a reason that so much classical art is made every day. And there's a reason all literature from all time periods has references to the Ancient Greek religion. In fact, there's a children's series being written about the Ancient Greek world right now, by a man named Rick Riordan. It's one of the best-selling and most popular series being published right now. The mortals still honor and worship the gods. They always have, in every country the gods have resided in. It kind of does make sense that Athena would have received enough presentations and prayers in Britain to become Britannia. I would suspect she dislikes her form, though, considering how much she detests being Minerva."

Annabeth sighed, "In my dream last night, I saw my mom in the background to the old British patriotic song 'Rule Britannia!' She was terrifying. She had a trident and a normal hoplite shield, and she was able to control the seas with her trident, almost like Poseidon."

"The British were seafarers," Reyna said. "Arguably, after the Greeks themselves, they were the most profound seafaring Western peoples of all time."

Rachel nodded. "The Greeks were cooped on their small islands, so in order to expand, they had to turn to the sea. It was the same story with the British. When they could no longer keep to their island, they turned to the seas to conquer the world. Unlike Rome but very much like Greece, the British loved Poseidon, or Neptune. They sought his blessings for every voyage they would follow. He became one of their patrons."

"_One _of their patrons?" Thalia questioned.

"Along with Britannia," Jason guessed, watching Annabeth closely.

Annabeth glared in front of her, the fear she had internalized not quite leaving her alone just yet.

"Wait a minute," Reyna said. "Neptune and Minerva have always been rivals. How in hell were they made co-patrons of Britain?"

"That was the nature of the British people," Ryan said. "They were seafaring peoples; the sea was their source of life and source of their power. For the many, many centuries, the British Navy controlled the entire world by exerting power over the seas. Because of this, they made Neptune their patron. But the British were also very focused on the human experience and the sense of human accomplishment and strategy, everything that Minerva Bellipotens and Athena Polias represented, the warlike aspects of Minerva Bellipotens and the Protector of Humans aspects of Athena Polias."

"Besides," Rachel said. "It wasn't the first time Athena and Poseidon worked together."

"The chariot," Percy remembered from the conversation he had with Annabeth so many years ago. "Poseidon created the horse, but Athena created the mechanism to transport people."

"But that's not the most important instance," Annabeth said softly.

Everyone turned to her with questioning looks. She looked at Nico with a scared expression, and he understood.

"The Trojan War," Nico said softly. "They both sided with the Greeks."

"_WHAT?_"

"But Chiron taught us that they were on opposite sides!" Piper protested.

Nico shook his head. "Have any of you ever read Homer's _Iliad_ in full?"

At the sheepish looks everyone gave him, Nico bit back a groan of annoyance and frustration.

"They both sided with the Greeks in the Trojan War. Poseidon supported the Greeks because they were seafarers while the Trojans were not. Athena supported the Greeks for two reasons. One, the Greeks had the forces of Athens behind them, but this alone doesn't explain it since she was also the Patron of Troy—"

"WHAT?" Jason, Percy, Leo, and Frank exclaimed in unison.

"Yes, but that's not important," Nico waved off, sounding annoyed at the constant interruptions, "Anyway, Athena sided with the Greeks because of Athens and because Paris had insulted her by sleeping with Helen in her temple in Delos."

"But didn't the Trojan War begin because Eris shot an apple that caused Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera to fight over which of them was the fairest? They went to Paris and asked him to pick?" Jason was seriously confused now.

Nico snorted. "Jason, Athena and Hera are virgin goddesses, both with the epithet _Parthenos_. Do you _really_ think they cared whether a mere mortal considered them more beautiful than Aphrodite or not? And let's not forget the fact that both of them are also war goddesses in the context of the Trojan War."

Jason looked down in embarrassment. When Nico put it like that, it didn't make sense at all.

"The real reason the Trojan War began is that Paris abducted Helen, and it was true that Aphrodite led Paris to her after he favored her. But Homer made the apple stuff up for dramatic irony and stupidity. Hera sided with Greece because the Trojans had burned her temples in Asia Minor when they invaded, and Athena sided with the Greeks because Paris had slept with Helen in her temple. It also helped that they were the patron gods of two of the most powerful Greek city-states: Argos and Athens."

"What's next," Percy muttered, "Are we going to learn that Athena and Poseidon actually love each other and are just hiding it behind a mask of hatred?"

Everyone snorted at that.

"That's far-fetched even for you, Percy," Nico smirked. "But anyway, one of the big reasons that the Greeks won the Trojan War is _because_ Athena and Poseidon were on the same side. Together, they were able to help the Greeks overcome the combined fury of Ares, Artemis, Apollo, and Zeus, all of who had sided with the Trojans."

"No wonder dad is always paranoid about Poseidon unseating him," Thalia said. "Even with most of his children siding with him, he was defeated by the combined fury of Athena, Poseidon, and Hera."

Thunder boomed outside. In response, Thalia just waved her hand impatiently, silencing the sky.

Everyone else looked at Thalia in shock. She had just shut up her dad who happened to be the King of the Gods.

She rolled her eyes at them. "Please," she snorted. "It's not like he's going to attack his favorite demigod daughter."

There was a tense silence in the Council House as they all waited for Thalia to be struck by lightning or to be turned into an ox. Thalia merely rolled her eyes again. "Back to the Trojan War," she snapped. "My father's theatrics are a discussion for a different day."

"It's also one of the reasons why the ancient Romans hated and feared Neptune and Minerva, isn't it?" Reyna turned her question to Nico.

Nico nodded. "The Romans are descendants of Troy, through the Trojan Prince Aeneas, a son of Aphrodite. Rhea Silvia was a legacy of Aphrodite through this line, and she gave birth to Romulus and Remus who in turn founded the city of Rome and the Roman Empire. But the Romans remembered that Poseidon and Athena had sided against them in their past incarnation, so they tried to push them towards the edges of the pantheon as much as possible. It didn't quite work, but it made Neptune and Minerva allies once again in this ostracization for 700 years."

"How do you know so much history?" Frank asked Nico.

"I talk to the people who were alive when it all happened," Nico deadpanned.

"This is all well and interesting," Reyna interrupted, "But how is this related to Britannia, those Elgin Marbles, and the new Great Prophecy."

Nico's and Annabeth's expressions darkened.

"The point is that Athena and Poseidon have worked together in the past, and whenever they have, it has meant horror and defeat for their enemies, even if said enemy is Zeus himself. So when the British made them co-patrons of the British Empire, it wasn't all that difficult. The two gods were still rivals, but they were able to get along," Annabeth explained.

"But if Athena took on a third form as Britannia in Britain, does that mean Poseidon took on a third form, too?" Hazel asked quietly.

"Not important," Jason and Percy interrupted.

When Annabeth turned to them, Jason explained, "Hera told us yesterday that it's Athena's forms that matter in this case, and she mentioned that she has the most forms of any god and is tied with another god. And by the sound of what we've been talking about today, it seems like that other god is Poseidon."

"But Poseidon's forms are usually the same," Percy continued. "Sure he's a bit more disciplined as Neptune, but he is pretty much the same as Poseidon. The sea does not like to mold to the whims of mortals' brains; it does not like to be restrained. So Poseidon stayed mostly the same from Greece to Rome. And if I had to guess, I would say that he didn't change much when they went to Britain, either."

"But just like Athena became a very different goddess in Rome, she changed again when the gods spent so much time in Britain. The British worshipped her as the Patron Goddess of their Navy, the protector of their men abroad. She became Britannia, a sea goddess along with her traditional realms of warfare and wisdom. In this form, she carries the trident, holds a hoplite shield, and wears a helmet. She was the patron of the Royal Navy as the British ruled the seas for 500 years, until 1945, where the gods moved to America as the center of the West, and Athena returned to her Greek form. But Britannia is still a part of her, a form that the British people honor every year as they remember their past and look to their future," Annabeth said.

"Honor every year?" Piper asked.

"The most famous and well-known example is their Last Night of the Proms celebration by BBC. Every year, on this celebration, they sing the hymn to Britannia, calling upon her to '_rule the waves_' and guide the British people to victory," Annabeth explained.

"_Rule Britannia! Britannia rule the waves! Britons never, never, never shall be slaves!_" Nico sang to emphasize Annabeth's point.

Annabeth nodded. "Unknowingly, the British people keep my mother's form as Britannia alive every year by invoking her power to guard their fleets at sea. To this day, the Patron of the Royal Navy is Britannia—or, as we would call her, Athena."

"So why do we have to retrieve the Elgin Marbles?" Leo asked.

"Because the hold the key to Britannia's power," Rachel said. "At least, that's what I think," she turned to Annabeth and Nico who nodded in confirmation.

"Just as the Athena Parthenos hold Athena's power as _Athena Promachos_ and _Minerva Bellipotens_, the Elgin Marbles hold her power as _Britannia Ides,_" Nico explained. "When the statues were taken from Greece to Rome, they transformed to reflect the contemporary form of the War Goddess, in this case, it was _Britannia Ides_, just like the Romans stole the _Athena Parthenos_ from Greece to become the symbol of _their_ military power instead of Greece's as _Minerva Bellipotens._"

"_Britannia Ides,_" Reyna said the words as if testing how they felt in her mouth. "Anglo-Saxon for _Britannia the Warrior Queen._"

Nico and Annabeth nodded.

"_Athena Promachos_ became _Minerva Bellipotens_ and finally _Britannia Ides_," Nico said. "All of them are goddesses of strategic warfare."

"So let me guess," Piper said, "Just like we brought peace and unity to Athena and Minerva by bringing the _Athena Parthenos_ back to the Greeks, we have to bring peace and unity to the last form of Britannia and merge her into Athena and Minerva by retrieving the Elgin Marbles and restoring them to their homes with the Greek demigods. Is that the plan?"

Rachel, Ryan, Nico, and Annabeth nodded.

"Déjà vu, anyone?" Percy muttered, glaring as the remembered the horrors of the Mark of Athena quest.

Jason laughed without humor. "Let me guess. The Americans stole something from Greece a long time ago too to represent Athena's military power. And eventually, we're going to have retrieve that as well, right?"

"Let's hope not," Annabeth said coldly, keeping her glare at the table in front of her. "I'm pretty damn sick of dying every time I have to restore my mother's sanity."

Percy rubbed circles into Annabeth's back to calm her down and comfort her.

"Okay," Frank said, "So we send a quest to retrieve Athena's sacred statues to unite Athena fully. Then what? Do we go back to war with another apocalypse on our hands? Is that what this new Great Prophecy means?"

Annabeth and Nico exchanged worried looks. The rest of the Councilors had become quite annoyed when those two had started keeping secrets from the.

Their secret conversation seemed to go something like this:

_Do we tell them_? Nico asked her.

_No, we don't know everything yet. We'll only confuse them more_. Annabeth seemed to say while shaking her head.

"If you two are done with your telepathic conversations," Percy interrupted the two in the midst of their intense gazes towards each other with an annoyed tone, "the rest of us would _love_ to be privy to all the secrets you're keeping from us. You know, seeing as it concerns all of us with _another_ doomsday upon us."

"Annabeth, we have to at least say something," Nico told her.

Annabeth glared at him but conceded. "Fine. But I'm not talking. You go for it."

Nico flinched under her glare but turned to his friends. "After the first Titanomachy, Zeus was given a prophecy. He managed to thwart it, or so he thought. But by the sounds of the latest Great Prophecy, it seems like he failed. And my dream I had a couple of weeks ago is starting to make sense."

"What was this prophecy?" Thalia demanded.

"It doesn't matter right now," Annabeth interrupted. "The point is that there's some sort of connection between that prophecy given to Zeus all those millennia ago and the one we got a few weeks ago. And the connection seems to be centered on the goddess of wisdom. So basically, if we don't want the world to destroy itself, we need to bring the goddess of wisdom together from her various parts. Otherwise, the Rule of Zeus will end badly."

"Oh, so it's like a normal day for us!" Percy said brightly. "Saving the world and Zeus' ass at the same time!"

Immediately, Percy was replaced by an eagle. With a roar of thunder and a flash of peacock feathers, Percy was back in his seat.

"Well that was unexpected," Reyna said dryly as everyone else smirked and Percy scowled. Seriously, he should have better than to insult the King of the Gods by now after all the problems he'd run into.

"So who's going on this quest?" Hazel asked the Oracle and the Augur.

Rachel and Ryan exchanged looks of apprehension.

"I was able to read the will of the gods yesterday," Ryan began nervously, "and they gave us a few options. The first option is the Three Princes of the World, the second option is the Three Protectors of War, and the third and last option is the Three of Light. I have no idea what any of this means, though…"

"So no matter what, I'm going," Nico said flatly.

Ryan shrugged. "With all due respect, I don't know what all those titles mean, Councilor di Angelo."

They Council went into uncomfortable silence for a minute.

"Well we know who the Three of Light are," Piper began, "we figured it out from the newest Great Prophecy the other day. It's Reyna, Nico, and Thalia. I'm guessing the Three Princes of the World would be Nico, Percy, and Jason since they're the firstborn sons of the three major thrones of the gods. I don't understand who the Three Protectors of War are, though."

"It's me, Reyna, and Nico," Annabeth sighed, her head in her hands. "Reyna and I are daughters of War Goddesses, and Nico is the Champion of the United Greco-Roman War Goddess."

"Wonderful," Reyna muttered sarcastically.

"So we're going on _another_ dangerous, life-changing quest," Jason muttered. "What else is new?"

"Do we seriously _never_ get a break?" Thalia and Percy complained together before sharing horrified looks that they thought like each other.

"That's the fate of our wonderful generation," Leo said with mock cheer.

"Well, we know one thing," Hazel refocused everyone. "We can't send the Three Protectors of War because we need Annabeth here at the Fort as Marshall. She can't leave. It looks like it'll have to either be Percy and Jason going with Nico or Thalia and Reyna."

Everyone turned to Nico.

"What?" He demanded.

"You're obviously supposed to be the leader of this quest," Frank said. "So it should be up to you to pick who accompanies you."

"How about no one and I just go by myself and shadow travel the Elgin Marbles home?" Nico asked hopefully.

"No," Annabeth said flatly, leaving no room for debate, "as Marshall of all Greco-Roman demigods, I forbid you to travel to Europe to retrieve these statues on your own, Councilor di Angelo. You must pick two companions. I will not have you face potential problems because you thought you could handle it by yourself."

Annabeth and Nico had a glaring contest for a minute. It was clear that Annabeth had made up her mind. Everyone watched as they held their staring match for a while.

Finally, Nico sighed and broke his glare. "Fine, I'll take others with me. I hate the thought of putting anyone else in danger because of me, though," he admitted.

Jason smacked him upside the head. "Again, Nico," he said, irritated, "just because you're the Patron of all demigods doesn't mean that we're going to let you go into every dangerous situation by yourself. Now which pair of us do you want with you?"

"You guys can decide amongst yourselves," Nico said. "I'm not going to ask anyone who doesn't want to come with me."

"I'll go," Jason, Percy, Thalia, and Reyna all said at the same time.

Nico looked at them all. "I'm not picking."

Everyone stared at each other in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes because Annabeth broke it.

"Okay, if you guys can't pick, I'm going to," she said, annoyed. "Thalia and Reyna, you're going with Nico. Get those stupid statues and come back in two weeks. Leo, rig the _Argo II_ up for them and teach them how to use it. You three leave for London in two days, meaning you have eleven days total to travel to London, sneak into the British Museum, steal those damned statues, and get back home. Got it?"

Thalia, Reyna, and Nico nodded.

"Percy, Jason, and Piper," Annabeth addressed them, "You'll be trailing them to Paris. I need you to check some things out in the Louvre and deliver some messages."

"So that leaves Hazel, Frank, Leo, and you to take care of the fort for two weeks," Percy said, worried.

Annabeth scowled at him. "We can do it, you know. Now go prepare for your journeys. Leo, go ready the _Argo II_. And Nico, meet me in my office tonight at 8. It looks like we have a lot of stories to share."

There was a weariness in her voice. The Marshall was tired of leading and saving the world. She just wanted a break.

"Meeting adjourned," Annabeth said with finality.

* * *

"Since when were you and Nico on such good terms?" Percy shot at his girlfriend as they sat in a café in the city (which was named Thebes after an overall referendum).

Annabeth threw her head back and laughed. "Percy, we've been together for a year now. Are you seriously choosing _now_ to be jealous? Of a guy who's sworn to eternal chastity? Seriously?"

"I'm not jealous!"

"And my name is Tyson the Cyclops," she smirked.

"Just answer the damn question," he pouted.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "We've been forced to work together lately and share notes on the latest series of prophecies," she muttered, her eyes turning slightly darker.

Percy looked at her cautiously. "You two know more than you're telling us, don't you?"

Annabeth hesitated by nodded.

"Why are you guys keeping so many secrets?"

"It's for the best," she responded. "Nico and I only have guesses right now, but those guesses are terrifying."

"But Hera said all of Olympus' enemies were defeated for another eon!" He protested.

Annabeth shook her head. "She said all of Olympus' _external_ enemies were defeated for another eon," she corrected.

Percy gave her a blank look. She rolled her eyes.

"Typical," she muttered at his confusion.

"What does that mean?" Percy asked, ignoring her mocking tone.

Annabeth sighed. "Percy, I really don't want to talk about this right now. Can we please just have a nice, happy date?" She begged.

Percy looked into her pleading eyes and hesitantly nodded.

Annabeth gave a sigh of relief. "Thanks. I'm really not in the mood to worry about the future again."

He reached across the table and grasped her hand. "I'm not ever going to let anything happen to you," he said softly.

Annabeth gave him a sad smile but shook her head. "Don't make such grand promises, Percy," she said softly. "I don't want to have to wake up to find you disappeared again."

He looked deep into her eyes and tightened his grip on her hand. "I'm not leaving you," he said firmly. "Never again."

Annabeth just gazed at him, leaning forward. Their lips met.

"Ahem," the waiter cleared his throat with a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Lady Marshall Chase, Councilor Jackson."

The two jumped apart, their faces tinged with red.

The waiter chuckled at the looks of embarrassment on two of the most powerful demigods alive.

* * *

"This isn't going to be easy, is it?" Reyna asked Nico.

The two had gathered in the shadow of the Athena Parthenos on the docks. Well, more accurately speaking, Nico had come here to think about the quest he was issued in the shadow of his patron, and Reyna had found him after teaching her daily swordsmanship class.

Nico turned to her sadly. He shook his head. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "I'm not going to ask you to come if you don't want to."

"Nico," she said firmly, "we traveled halfway around the world brining this statue back to the Greeks. We can do it again. We make a good team."

Nico just looked at her with a guarded expression. "I don't want anyone else putting their lives in danger for me," he said.

"And your friends don't want you to face that same danger by yourself when you'll most likely get yourself killed," Thalia said from behind him.

Nico swiveled around to see her in shock.

"It's true," Reyna said.

Nico looked at his two fellow questers apathetically. "I'm sorry," he said finally. "I never wanted anyone else to get into this mess."

"And we're not going to let you go into this mess by yourself," Thalia said fiercely.

Nico turned to her. "Why?"

"Because you need to stop being by yourself and battling everything by yourself. We're here to help," Thalia shot back as a response.

Nico shook his head. "But why? No one's cared about me ever since Bianca died," he said bitterly, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. "Why do you people suddenly care now?"

Reyna pulled him into a hug. Nico hesitantly wrapped his arms around her.

"Nico," Thalia said behind him softly. "You were never alone. Whenever we were in the area, I would ask Artemis permission to check up on you. I wasn't able to protect your sister. I wanted to do my best to protect you."

Nico pulled back from Reyna and gave Thalia a grudging smile. "Thanks for trying," he said sincerely.

Thalia gave him a sad smile. "I failed you."

Nico shook his head again. "You did what you could. Now, we need to figure out how we're going to steal those stupid marbles."

Thalia and Reyna shared looks of worry. The two of them had talked about this, and they didn't know where to begin.

"Reyna, can you still do magic?" Nico asked suddenly.

"I hate it, but yeah, I still can."

"Good. Thalia, you still have control of the Mist, right?"

Thalia nodded.

"Okay, good. The British Museum is heavily guarded 24/7, so we won't be able to just sneak in."

"How do you know, exactly?" Reyna interrupted.

Nico gave her a wry smile. "I keep many secrets, praetor."

Reyna and Thalia raised their eyebrows at him.

"I shadow traveled to London once to see everything," he admitted.

"So how are we going to do this?" Thalia asked.

"We'll need to make magical decoys of all the statues as soon as we steal them; otherwise, there'll be a worldwide manhunt for the thieves. And knowing the British authorities, they won't give up until they have those stupid statues back."

"That's our job isn't it?" Thalia asked, referring to herself and Reyna.

Nico nodded. "Reyna, you'll need to make duplicates of the statues as soon as we get there, and Thalia, you'll have to cover the entire museum in Mist, so no one knows that the real statues are gone."

* * *

Jason and Piper were walking along the beach in silence holding hands, just comfortable in each other's company.

"I'm tired of the politics," Jason admitted.

Piper looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "It's what we have to do," she said.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," he complained.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Then how the hell did you survive Senate meetings in New Rome, or all the orders and proceedings you'd have to deal with as praetor."

Jason's face flushed. "I usually let Reyna deal with most of that," he admitted.

Piper's back stiffened, and Jason was worried that he'd overstepped a boundary.

After a moment's silence, Piper began carefully, "Jason, what do you think of Reyna?"

Jason mentally cursed his luck. He remembered that Piper had gone after Nico when he had explained what had happened in Croatia to the other Councilors, all those weeks ago.

"She's a formidable leader and a fantastic warrior," he said guardedly.

Piper nodded. "Did you ever have feelings for her?" She asked softly, not meeting his eyes but squeezing his hand.

Jason hesitated and prayed to all the gods that Piper wouldn't kill him.

"Yeah," he finally admitted. "I'd be lying if I said that I don't sometimes think of what might have happened if Hera hadn't ever taken me away from New Rome."

Piper's eyes became as hard as steel, but she nodded. "I figured as much."

"There was nothing going on between us, though," Jason said quickly.

"I know," Piper cut off his inevitable explanations and tirades. "But I appreciate the honestly. Thanks."

Jason didn't know what to say, so he merely nodded. This had been a conversation he was hoping would never have happened.

"She did swear off love," he said hopefully.

"I'm aware," Piper said curtly. "My own mother blessed her vow against Love."

Jason said nothing in response.

"She's turned all her emotions into discipline," Piper finally said softly. The steely glint in her eyes seemed to be softening.

Jason raised his eyebrow at her.

"I feel bad for her at times," Piper admitted, albeit reluctantly. "She's killed and suppressed all emotions within her. She shouldn't have had to do that. No one should."

"She made her choice," Jason said.

"And have you?" Piper shot at him, dropping his hand.

Jason turned fearful eyes on her. He could destroy armies of monsters, but he was still fearful of his girlfriend. And his girlfriend wasn't even a Daughter of War!

"I have made my choice," Jason said finally. "I pick you."

Piper just gazed at him with no emotion for a while before nodding. "Thank you."

The sat down on the sand, her head resting on his shoulder and his arm around her waist with his hands playing with her hair.

"Do you know why Annabeth's sending you to Paris?" Piper asked suddenly, turning to him.

"I don't know," he answered truthfully. "I think she's going to tell us tonight."

Piper nodded. "I hope you're okay," she said softly before kissing him.

Jason's brain melted and all thoughts of future dangers vanished as he enthusiastically responded.

* * *

"Please keep him safe," Hazel said softly.

Reyna and the Daughter of Pluto had gathered in their quarters in the Councilors' Cabin.

Reyna looked at her friend, startled.

"I'll do my best," she said cautiously.

Hazel looked at her with fear in his eyes. "He's everything I have left," she said tearfully. "I don't have any family left other than him. I couldn't stand it if I lost him, too."

Reyna looked at her sadly. "I don't know if I can guarantee his safety, Hazel," she said softly. "You know how bad the ancient lands are. But I'm not going to let him die so easily."

Hazel nodded. "Thanks, Reyna. Just… try to bring him back to me, okay? He's all that I've got left."

Reyna looked at her quietly before nodding. "I'll try my hardest to keep him alive."

"Good luck."

"Thank you."

* * *

"Good job," Reyna praised. Annabeth merely scowled in response. The praetor had been giving the Marshall swordplay lessons as promised, but Annabeth wasn't advancing as quickly as she had wanted to.

"You're getting better," Reyna promised, hiding a smile threatening to reveal itself at Annabeth's frustration. "Just keep practicing."

"Yeah, because I'm getting _so_ good," Annabeth muttered.

Reyna smirked. "Annabeth, you've been using a sword for roughly a month now. Give yourself a break. You'll be a master swordsman soon enough if you just keep working at it and keep practicing. But you're not going to get it in such a short amount of time. Most swordsmen have to train years before they get to the skill level you want to reach."

"And how do you know what level I want to get to?"

"Because I know you want to defeat Percy at his strongest," Reyna said simply.

Annabeth scowled at her friend, and Reyna smirked back with amusement dancing in her eyes.

"You're going to have to work harder than that to beat Percy, though," Reyna admitted. "Jason told me that Percy disarmed him in all of two minutes."

Annabeth shook her head in exasperation. "Asshole," she muttered.

Reyna cracked up. "Well, not everyone can be the greatest swordsman in three-thousand years, you know," she remarked casually.

Annabeth glowered at her friend. "Nico managed to stay up with him."

Reyna turned a thoughtful look at her friend. "Nico is a special case. His style of swordplay is neither Greek nor Roman nor even Japanese or Chinese. I've studied and learned them all, but it's almost as if he's… merged all of them to create his own version of fighting. It's fascinating."

"Yeah, well, I still want to defeat Percy at his own game," Annabeth muttered.

Reyna grinned. "You're getting there. One daughter of the War Goddess to another, I respect your boldness."

Annabeth grinned back. Over the past few weeks, this saying had basically become their greeting and motto between the two friends, a bond formed out of danger that hand continued to defeat all tests to its strength.

* * *

"You wanted to see me?" Nico asked, taking his seat across from Annabeth.

Dinner had finished, and Nico had come to Annabeth's office at eight just as she had requested at the Council meeting that day.

"I don't know what we should tell them and what we don't," Annabeth said after a minute of staring at her laptop. Lord Hephaestus had designed 200 monster-proof laptops for demigods. It was no replacement for Daedalus' contraption, but it was enough to partially satiate her unending thirst for knowledge.

"We need to tell them some things," Nico said.

"Yeah, but if we start to tell them anything, they'll all get scared and act up," Annabeth responded, worry and weariness in her voice.

Nico looked at her impassively.

"We have to at least tell them what prophecy we think is coming true," Nico said finally.

Annabeth shook her head violently. "No chance. We can't open that box right now. If we do, we'll never hear the end of it, and it'll cause more problems than we already have."

"Annabeth, we can't keep it any longer."

"And how exactly are we going to tell them that Gaea, the evil bloodthirsty goddess we just lost countless lives defeating, gave Zeus a prophecy 10,000 years ago that's coming true right now?"

"We'll have to tell them eventually."

Annabeth glared at him. "It'll cause panic, especially if they figure out what it means."

"If you listen to the new Great Prophecy," Nico shot back, "it's pretty obvious to anyone who knows their mythology."

Annabeth scoffed. "And clearly most of the Fort _don't_ know their mythology that well because no one else has figured it out, yet."

Nico didn't say anything.

Annabeth looked at him with pain in her eyes. "You know that you're part of it, don't you? It's _your_ turn to save the world."

Nico glared at the wall behind her. "I'm not interested in saving the world," he said coldly.

"Then why're you still here?" She inquired. "If you're not interested in saving the world, why do you stay with the demigods. Why do you still protect us?"

Nico said nothing.

"Face it, Nico," Annabeth said at his silence. "You _do_ care as much as you don't want to. We're your family. You need us to help you out just as much as we need you to protect us."

"What am I, a patriarch?" Nico muttered, but Annabeth could hear the undertone of sarcasm and amusement in his voice beneath the apathy.

"You're our patron," Annabeth said. "You can't exist without us, just as we can't exist without you."

Nico snorted. "Whatever."

Annabeth looked at him with fear and pain. "I'm worried about you," she said finally.

Nico raised his eyebrow at her. "Why?"

She flinched. "You've made so many promises… I don't want you to go on this quest to the ancient lands again. I have a bad feeling about this."

Nico laughed. "Annabeth, quit the bullshit," he finally said. "We all know that I've had a shitty life. I don't want your worry, pity, or sympathy. I have a job to do. I have to retrieve the marbles that are sacred to our Patron goddess. And after that, I need to lead the new Age without letting the old enemies of Olympus destroy the gods."

"And you have a knack of making impossible things sound easy," Annabeth remarked.

Nico shrugged. "I've had lots of practice."

"Do you really think the new queen is… you know… her?" Annabeth asked fearfully.

Nico didn't say anything in response.

Annabeth sighed at his silence, knowing that he shared her suspicions.

"It's the only logical explanation," he said finally.

"Nico, since when has logic _ever_ ruled our live?" Annabeth asked bitterly. "We live in a world of gods, monsters, and dead people coming back to life. Science and reason mean absolutely nothing here."

Nico raised his eyebrow at her. "Lightning strikes when the buildup of positive charge in clouds meets and neutralizes the buildup of negative charge on the ground. There is still reason in this world, Annabeth. You just have to know it. I wouldn't have expected a Child of Athena, much less the _favored_ Child of Athena, to say something like that."

"Yeah, well, most wouldn't expect the favored Child of Athena to be pouring out her heart's worries and fears to the Ghost King instead of her boyfriend, either," she muttered.

Nico chuckled. "No, that's true."

"What does 'Victory shall be King' mean, Nico?" Annabeth asked, turning fearful eyes on him.

Nico shared that look of fear. "I don't want to say it out loud," he said quietly. "Because then we'd have to accept it as truth."

Annabeth nodded at him. "I just don't get how we're going to have a new Queen _and_ a new King. And what does it mean when it says that the new King will conquer Death?"

"Annabeth, you know as much as I do."

Annabeth groaned. "Sorry. I'm just anxious."

"I know. It's okay. Look, I'll get the Elgin Marbles back safely. I'll bring Thalia and Reyna safely back to you. I promise. And when we're back, we can look at the next step of the Prophecies, the old one and the new one. I think we're going to find some answers after we can actually relieve your mother of her memory loss."

"More like memory suppression," Annabeth muttered bitterly.

Nico smiled. "Whatever you want to think of it as. Once we get the Elgin Marbles back, we'll have the truly Unified War Goddess on our side, and then we can worry about the future. Okay?"

Annabeth hesitantly nodded, not meeting his eyes.

"What am I going to do with all the new recruits?" She asked rhetorically.

"How many are there?"

"Between Chiron and Lupa? They already have 300," she said absentmindedly. "And the satyrs say there're more on the way."

Nico looked at her shocked. "That's six new divisions!"

Annabeth nodded, frustrated. "And that's six new divisions I don't know what to do with."

"This is a lot more demigods than we would have expected," Nico muttered.

Annabeth turned to him, tired. "Yeah. Apparently Apollo told Chiron that there are a total of about 3,000 Greco-Roman demigods total around the world. And they're going to be transported to the Fort periodically."

Nico's eyes bulged at that comment. "Damn, the gods have been busy," he said under his breath.

Annabeth snorted. "More like couldn't keep their testosterone in check."

Nico smirked. "Yeah, that, too."

Annabeth gave him a grudging smile. "We'll have to expand Thebes," she muttered. "And prepare the Fort for about 2,000 more demigods."

"Why would we need to expand Thebes," Nico asked in a confused tone. "The city's already built to handle 6,000 citizens."

Annabeth sighed in frustration again. "Chiron and Lupa were contacted by many retired legionnaires and heroes. Many of them want to settle down with their families in Thebes. They're tired of the dangers of the real world."

Nico looked at her, shocked. "How did they even know about Thebes?"

Annabeth gave him a sarcastic smile. "Apparently news gets around when your family is the immortal gods."

Nico rolled his eyes. "So how many of them want to return?"

"Chiron basically told me to expand Thebes to be able to accommodate 100,000 people"

"What the actual fuck?"

"Language," Annabeth snapped back at him.

"Oh shut it, Annie, you're hardly better," he smirked at her.

"If you ever call me that again, I will personally make you feel the pain of your own sword," she warned.

Nico just grinned at her.

"Anyway, the families of all these young demigods are being invited to live in Thebes. We can't just steal the kids away from their parents when they're eight and expect the mortal parents to accept it."

"Uh… Mortals have never lived in a godly haven before."

"Look like that'll soon be changing," Annabeth said darkly. "Chiron told me to give Thebes all of the facilities of a modern city. University, public schools, universal healthcare, everything."

"Yes, because the United States is _so_ modern to have universal healthcare," Nico remarked dryly.

Annabeth grinned at the quip. "Anyway, that's my latest project. Chiron and Lupa are bringing the first batch of demigods to be accepted into the Fort tomorrow."

Nico gave her a confused look. "Didn't they say that they would need five years to train the first batch of demigods?"

"Apparently they got this first batch up to speed in a few weeks."

When Nico still looked at her in confusion, she elaborated, "The first batch is the demigods that they were already training, those who stayed at Camp Half-Blood or the Wolf House while those ready to fight did so in the Battle of Marathon."

Nico nodded in understanding finally. "And this is all happening while the Ages are changing…"

Annabeth nodded miserably. "We're on the cusp of either another 10,000 years of peace or 10,000 of horror and destruction. And I feel like every move I make is pulling us in either way."

"Hey, you're a leader, Annabeth," Nico said soothingly. "And I trust your judgment. Everything you've done so far has worked to help us and preserve our people and family. I trust your calls."

"I don't," she muttered.

"Well you should, because you're doing a great job. And you haven't made a mistake, yet."

Annabeth sighed. "Thanks, Nico… Why did you suggest I be made Marshall?"

She turned curious eyes to him.

"Because you're the best person for the job," he said simply.

She raised her brows at him.

"You'll be the first Marshall of Greco-Roman demigods, Annabeth. Fort Olympus will probably exist for another eon. The title of Marshall will change every year from now until the end of time. You're the best person to set those precedents now. I knew that you would set a good example for all future Marshalls and all future leaders of Fort Olympus. And we all trust your judgment, even if you don't trust your own."

"Thanks," she said gratefully. "I just hope you didn't put your trust in the wrong person."

Nico gave her a comforting smile. "I know I didn't."

Annabeth gave him a thankful smile back.

They shared a hug before he turned and left her office.

"Get some sleep," he called behind him as he walked out the door. "You're a genius, Annabeth, but that doesn't mean your brain doesn't need rest, too."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Thanks again for reading! I do have one question for you guys, though. As you can see, I have ten overall main characters, but I've really not been able to focus on each and every one of them. Obviously, the ones that have suffered the most are Frank and Hazel, but I've also, unfortunately, largely ignored Piper, Leo, and to an extent, even Thalia, not to mention the facts that I've basically made Ryan and Rachel mere plot devices. And I've also not been spending much time developing all of their relationships with each other. At least, this is how I've been looking at my pieces in hindsight. I'd love to hear all your thoughts on this.

I could easily write more scenes exploring each character and/or relationship (I have full, completely developed character arcs in my head for each of them as well as all their relationships with each other), but that would make this fic a lot longer than it already is. And I feel like my chapters are already too lengthy and unwieldy... So let me know if you guys think I should spend more time exploring each of the ten characters and stop focusing so much on Annabeth, Reyna, Percy, Nico, and Jason. If anyone has any thoughts about this, I would love to hear it. Thanks!

**Review Replies**:

TheGoddessIsAlive: (Chapter 7) Thank you so much!

TylerJacksonJr: (Chapter 7) I don't think I really want to make Percy as powerful as Nico. I've already iterated many times that Percy is already the greatest demigod of all time, but I want to make Nico the most powerful instead. Like I said, Percy will always be remembered because of what he's achieved, but I really want Nico to stand out on his own way. Sorry! Also, I think there's a lot of misconceptions about what Chaos actually was/is in Greek Mythology. I've seen a lot of fanfics in the fandom where Chaos is another enemy of Olympus like Gaea or Kronos, but this is not the case is actual Greek Mythology. In the actual Ancient Greek religion, Chaos wasn't even a "god", like Gaea or the other Primordials. Chaos was just the name given to the universe before everything was created. Chaos was neither good nor evil, and she (Chaos, despite not having any gender, was often described a she, much like we call boats by feminine pronouns) was just there. She was the embodiment of the universe. I think there's a lot of misconceptions about Chaos in the fandom right now, and hopefully that will change as people research actual Greek Mythology more. But thank you for the review! I greatly appreciate it! :)

The Son of Hades123: (Chapter 7) Thank you for your praise! I really appreciate it! And I'm not going to make Percy as powerful as Nico, so don't worry! In my fic, Nico is the most powerful demigod of all time, to be forgotten in the sands of time to the pages of history, while Percy is the _greatest_ demigod of all time who has achieved more than any other Greco-Roman heroes and will always be remembered and honored. :)

I'mcrazyandiknow: (Chapter 7) I really like the potential bromance between Reyna and Nico, so I will definitely be working on developing their relationship more! :)

Lupita: (Chapter 7) Thank you for the praise! :D And I hope I answered some of your questions in this chapter. ;D I'm going to be working on answering the rest of them as we keep moving forward! :D And don't worry, as of now, I have no intention of abandoning this story! :D

Lupita: (_Her Happy Ending_) Thank you for taking the time to read this oneshot! I worked really hard on it, and it makes me happy to see so many people enjoy it! :)

The derpy baka: (Chapter 7) Hahahahaha well here you go! XP I see someone's a fan of _Thor_!

Geek4Greek: (Chapter 7) Hahaha you flatter me! Thank you so much for the praise! :) I'm really struggling on developing the characters, though, so I don't know... How would you say my character development is going?


	9. Chapter 9: Family

**Author's Note**: I'm really happy with how this chapter turned out! I think you guys will like how I ended it! And thank you to everyone who gave their views on what I should do with character development from here on out. I really appreciate the feedback and will definitely take it into account! :)

Also, just a quick note: I have final exams starting tomorrow, so I won't be able to update again until I'm done. I actually should have been studying the entire time I wrote this chapter these past few days. But I needed a break from the constant work and memorization, so I wrote this to take my mind off the stress. However, I probably won't be able to write and update for at least another 10 to 12 days after this. Sorry guys!

As always, please leave a review and let me know what you guys think! :D

**Disclaimer: **_Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ and _The Heroes of Olympians_ and all things related are property of Rick Riordan and Disney Hyperion. I am not making any profit off of this work in any way, shape, or form.

Fort Olympus

* * *

**Chapter 9: Family**

* * *

_Poseidon was sitting on his throne in his undersea palace. He was looking over the miniature replica of his capital city built on his court._

_"My Lord," Amphitrite addressed as she entered._

_Poseidon looked up at his wife and smiled. "Come, My Love. What can I do for you today?"_

_Amphitrite gave a sad smile to her husband. "The time for change has come, My Lord."_

_Poseidon looked at her in confusion. "What?"_

_Amphitrite looked at him grimly. "Alas, it seems I was not enough for you, My Love. I'm sorry."_

_"Amphitrite, what are you talking about?" Poseidon asked, concerned._

_Amphitrite just shook her head. "Remember our vows to each other at our wedding day, Poseidon?"_

_Poseidon gave her a look of confusion but nodded. "We swore on our lives to be by each other and love each other for eternity."_

_Amphitrite nodded and gave him a grim smile. "I swore on my life that I would love you and always be by your side, My Lord, as long as I had your true love."_

_Poseidon nodded. "Yes. That's true. So?"_

_Amphitrite shook her head again. "The sea does not like to be restrained. I am the Princess and the Queen of the Sea. I gave your claim to my father's throne legitimacy. But I think we both know my role has ended here."_

_Poseidon looked at her in worry. "My Love, what are you saying?"_

_She gave him a wan smile. "I'm saying my role is coming to an end."_

_Her form began to flicker, and she turned paler. "It is time for the tides to pull me back to the world's shores. It's time for me to respond to the humans' pollution and destruction of my kingdom. It's time for me to be answer the call of duty, My Lord."_

_Poseidon just stared at her in shock. "Amphitrite, no!" He cried._

_The Queen turned away from him. "My Love, you've been the most forgiving of all of your brothers. You've been the best husband of your brothers. No matter what, you always loved me in the end, despite all your infidelity. But the future is fast approaching. Don't break my granddaughter's or my niece's heart. Triton and I have come to pass. It is time for us to make way for the future_._"_

_With that, Amphitrite left the room, her figure becoming just even more pale, and Poseidon was left on this throne in shock and horror._

Percy shot up in his bed from the dream, sweating profusely and gasping to collect his senses again. Somehow, he knew that his dream was real, and that his father and his father's queen had had that conversation just now. And he knew that the monarchy of the sea was changing. The Daughter of Oceanus and Tethys was weakening, and his immortal half-brother, Triton, was as well.

"Percy, is everything okay?" Jason asked from next to him, in a concerned tone.

After a minute, Percy responded, "No."

Jason looked at him in alarm. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Percy admitted.

Jason blinked at him in confusion. "Did you have a nightmare?"

Percy shook his head. "It was actually happening. My dad and Amphitrite were talking about something."

Percy quickly explained the dream to Jason, but Jason couldn't make any more sense of it than he could.

"You sure it was real?"

Percy nodded firmly. "I've had enough demigod dreams these past years to know what's actually happening and what isn't."

Jason just looked at him in worry. "Go back to sleep for now. But you need to talk to Nico or Annabeth about this tomorrow."

Percy scowled but nodded.

* * *

_"Aeneas," something whispered behind him._

_Reyna looked down and saw that a man wearing a traditional Greek chiton standing in front of an altar of Athena. Next to her, she saw Nico. The two Councilors looked at each other in shock that they were sharing this dream._

_Against his will, the man in front of the altar turned to see a ghost._

_Immediately, Reyna knew two things. One, she was looking at the Trojan Prince and Roman Patriarch Aeneas, who was looking at the ghost of Hector, the greatest Trojan warrior and the Bane of Achilles._

_"My Cousin," Aeneas cried._

_Hector gave Aeneas a sad smile. "Aeneas, I can't stay long, but you need to keep the Trojan line alive."_

_Aeneas was crying. "But now, brother! Everyone but me is dead from the line of Ilius."_

_Hector shook his head. "Brother, the wooden statue of Athena you see behind you is imbued with the power and glory of Pallas Athena, the goddess herself. When Troy was founded a thousand years ago, the goddess gave this statue to our ancestors. 'Protect it,' she told them, 'and Troy will never be defeated in war. Do not let your enemies take it away.'"_

_"Athena turned on us and destroyed us," Aeneas cursed._

_"Peace, brother," Hector interrupted. "The will of the Zeus came to fruition. The Achaeans were destined to overtake us. There was nothing we could do. We tried our hardest, but in the end, it was not enough. But your destiny starts now, Aeneas," Hector said curtly._

_Aeneas looked up at his cousin in confusion. "What do you mean, Hector?"_

_"Aeneas, you are destined to preserve the Trojan line. Remember that as long as that statue, the Palladium, stays in Trojan hands, the Trojan line will survive. Our people are no longer safe here in Asia Minor. Take the Palladium with you and the survivors. Travel to Italy. There, you will continue the Trojan line, and you will see that our loss today to the Greeks will be avenged. Pallas Athena was not just the patron of Athens. She was the patron for the Trojans as well. And she still is. As long as you keep this statue of Pallas Athena safe and in Trojan hands, the goddess will grant that you will create a new empire, one even greater than both Troy and Greece. Go. Fulfill your destiny. May Wisdom's Strength and Power guide you through the night and lead you to conquer all tribulations and struggles."_

_Aeneas looked at Hector in fear but nodded. There was determination in his eyes as well now._

_"I will follow your orders, Brother. I will take the Palladium, imbued with Pallas Athena's power, with me. I will travel to Italy. I will continue the Trojan line. I will make sure that the wrongs of Greece against Troy are righted in the next incarnation of Troy."_

_Hector smiled at his cousin and nodded. "I must return to Hades. Remember, Aeneas, that your lineage stretches through Aphrodite all the way to Zeus himself. You are destined for greatness. Keep the memory of Troy alive. I warn you, though, make sure you are not vengeful against the Greeks. Pallas Athena is the patron of both Trojans and Greeks. She protects us all. The Greeks have done wrongs against us. Correct these wrongs. But do not seek revenge because then, _you _will__ be responsible for the destruction of the Trojan line for good. Be careful. And set off."_

_Hector vanished. And Aeneas turned to the statue of Athena._

_The wooden statue was barely a foot tall, but it gave off an aura of destruction and terror. Looking upon it, Reyna could believe that the statue was imbued with the power of the war goddess. The statue's eyes seemed to glare at everything around her, and the spear in the goddess' hand seemed to bend the sky to its will._

_Just as Aeneas approached the statue, loud stomping sounded from outside the altar._

_With fear in his eyes, Aeneas fled into a side alleyway._

_The main door of the altar opened, and two large, built men stormed in, clad in full Greek armor and carrying spears in their hands._

_"There it is, Odysseus, the Palladium," the man on the left said, almost reverently._

_The two of them approached the statue cautiously, as if waiting for it to transform into the goddess and destroy them._

_"Indeed, Diomedes," Odysseus said softly. "There is my Patron, Athena Promochos, patron of Troy and Athens. Pallas Athena: Athena the Greatest Warrior in Battle."_

_"You heard what Helen told us," Diomedes said._

_Odysseus nodded. "We won't be able to defeat Troy until we take the Palladium away from Troy."_

_Odysseus snatched the statue._

_Diomedes grinned. "And now, we destroy Troy. Let the feasting begin!"_

_Odysseus grinned as well. "Brother, take the Palladium. Protect it in Argos. My Patron will want the Palladium in Athens. See that it gets there."_

_Diomedes looked at Odysseus in surprise before nodding. He gingerly took the statue from Odysseus' hands._

_The two men ran out of the temple._

_The dream sequence melted away._

* * *

It was still night. Percy had tried to get back to sleep but failed. He remembered that Jason had told him to talk to Nico about his dream. Just like the five female permanent members of the Council, the five male permanent members shared a room. In each room, the five beds were arranged in a circle, all facing into a central brazier. Percy turned to his other side, and he saw that Nico was sitting up.

Nico gave him a questioning look.

Percy just nodded towards the door and stood out of his bed.

He left the room and walked towards the beach. He could hear Nico walking behind him. It still felt slightly weird to be looking up at Nico, who was now three inches taller than him. In his mind's eye, he still saw the annoying ten-year-old kid he had rescued from Westover Hall three years ago; the one who asked him if he was a good surfer because he was the Son of Poseidon.

Percy chuckled to himself at that thought before sitting down with his legs out in front of him.

Nico had taken his seat beside Percy, also with his legs outwards. Nico raised his eyes at Percy's chuckle.

"What're you laughing at?"

"Just remembering how annoying you used to be as a ten-year-old."

Nico didn't respond; he just looked out towards sea with no emotion.

"Remember how you asked if I was a good surfer because I was the son of Poseidon?"

Nico turned to him with a raised eyebrow but a small, tired smile on his face. "Yeah. Did you ever try it?"

Percy chuckled. "Yeah. Apparently just being the son of Poseidon doesn't mean that I'm a good surfer."

Nico just gave him a tired smile in response. "So what's on your mind? You usually sleep like a dead horse."

Percy bit back the retort and Nico's snark. "I had a dream," he admitted.

Nico didn't look surprised. "That makes two of us," he muttered. "What happened in it?" Nico asked him.

Percy quickly explained his dream to Nico. Nico's brows knit together more and more as Percy kept talking, and by the time Percy was finished, it seemed that Nico had aged ten years with how tired and worried he looked.

"Nico, what's wrong? What's going on?" Percy asked in concern.

Nico looked at the Sea Prince sadly. "Percy, I'm worried. You said you think this just happened in Poseidon's palace?"

Percy nodded, not breaking his gaze from Nico's.

Nico sighed and put his head in his hands. "I had my own dream," he admitted.

"What was it?" Percy asked, curiosity overtaking the better of him.

Reluctantly, Nico explained the dream about the Palladium. "I think Reyna and I had the same dream right now," he finished.

Percy looked at him in shock. "Is that possible?"

"I don't know. But she was right next to me in the dream, and I swear to the gods it seemed like she was right there."

"How would you know?"

"Percy, I traveled half the world with her. And I've worked with her a lot to keep the peace between the camps. I know what her presence is like. And the girl standing next to me in the dream was just like her."

Percy didn't know what to say. "So what does this mean?"

Nico groaned. "I have a pretty good idea of what your dream means, but I have no idea about mine."

"What does mine mean, then?" Percy demanded.

Nico looked at him cautiously. "Are you sure you want to know."

"Yes," he snapped back.

Nico turned back to the sea. "Your father and his queen have one of the most legendary love stories of all time."

Percy looked at Nico in shock; Poseidon had told Percy that he had truly loved Sally Jackson. What did this mean? If Poseidon truly loved Amphitrite, how could he betray his wife like that? And so many times, too?

"What are you talking about?"

"Poseidon first wooed his oldest sister and my Patron, Hestia. He and Apollo both sought Hestia's hand in marriage—"

"Wait a minute," Percy interrupted. "Are you saying that Apollo wanted to marry his _aunt_?"

"And you're in love with _your cousin's_ daughter. What's your point?"

Percy didn't respond but shook his head.

"Anyway, Poseidon and Apollo both sought Hestia's hand in marriage, at the same time. Both had fallen in love with her, but Hestia didn't love either of them or anyone at all. But in order to prevent civil war amongst the gods, she took her vow of eternal chastity. She swore on Zeus' head that she would never marry because she feared that Apollo and Poseidon would go to war with each other if she offered to marry either."

"She turned down love for all time just because two guys loved her?" Percy asked, incredulous.

Nico gave him a shrewd smile. "Percy, you remember what Hestia told us last year. It's easy to do what you want for yourself. But it's difficult to yield to a greater good. But Hestia has always been the one to yield. She's a goddess of the family, and she was not going to let her own family destroy itself just because two men wanted her love. She did what she had to do to protect them."

Percy whistled. "Damn she really loves her family if she gave up love forever just to keep them together."

Nico nodded. "Poseidon returned to his undersea palace after this, completely depressed. But a few years later, he and Amphitrite first met at a ball he was hosting. You remember that Oceanus didn't fight in the First Titan War. Oceanus willingly gave his realm to Poseidon because he was supposed 'tired' and just wanted peace. Anyway, Oceanus' 3,000 daughters and 3,000 sons came to the ball. Poseidon and Amphitrite, who was a daughter of Oceanus, met here. Poseidon was immediately taken away by her beauty. He and Amphitrite 'dated', if you will, for about a hundred years before they got married. They truly loved each other. And they were the talk of Olympus for years. After they first met, Poseidon was completely faithful to her. They got married with Hera's blessing. At their wedding, they swore on their lives that as long as their hearts belonged solely to each other, they would always remain by each other's sides."

"Huh?"

Nico repeated himself. "Amphitrite swore on her life that as long as Poseidon's heart belonged to her, she would never leave his side. Poseidon did the same."

"Oh… They really loved each other, didn't they?"

Nico nodded, almost looking sad. "Even though Poseidon is almost as big a womanizer as Zeus, he never actually loved a woman as much as he loved Amphitrite. They were truly made for each other." Nico cocked his head towards Percy. "In some ways, they were like you and Annabeth, a love between them so obvious and fruitful that no one would dare interfere."

Percy flinched. He tried not to resent his father, but it was hard not to. In the end, his mother had just been another one-night stand to Poseidon, despite the fact that he had loved her a bit.

"I think I know what's going on to Amphitrite," Nico said sadly.

"What?"

"The mortals are destroying her domain. They haven't polluted it as much as they've polluted the world's wild places, but they are doing it enough. The seas are full of garbage that Poseidon and Amphitrite can't clean up by themselves anymore. Fish populations are dying because of overfishing by the humans. Many old sea creatures are being driven to extinction… Amphitrite is the Queen of the Seas. She is the symbol of Poseidon's power. She's being affected dearly by the problems that are afflicting the oceans."

Percy looked at Nico in horror and shock. "You mean she's fading?"

Nico gave him a sad look but nodded.

"But how!" Percy protested.

"Percy, think about it. The sea is a constant. It's why all of the old sea gods have continued to exist, even through the reign of Poseidon. Just polluting the seas isn't going to be enough to make the Queen of the Seas fade…"

Percy's face screwed up in consternation. But finally, realization dawned on his face. "Her oath," he said softly.

Nico nodded.

"She swore that as long as Poseidon's heart belonged solely to her, she would always stay at his side. But dad's moved on to someone else," Percy said softly.

Nico looked out to sea with grief in his eyes. "Yeah."

"But who could it be?"

"Amphitrite told Poseidon to not break the heart of her granddaughter or her cousin." Nico sighed. "I'm sorry. This isn't good. This is really not good at all."

"But why did dad have so many affairs if he loved Amphitrite?"

Nico gave him a sardonic grin. "The love the gods feel for mortals is not the same as mortals feel for each other. When gods fall in love with mortals, _if_ it's actually love in the first place instead of lust, they merely admire them, whether it's for their regality like your mom or their brains like Annabeth's dad. There is never any romantic attachment in the god's heart to the mortal. Usually, there is only longing coupled with appreciation."

Percy looked down at his lap at that.

"Dad really loves Amphitrite, doesn't he?" he whispered without looking up.

Nico gave him a sad gaze. "Well, he did. If Triton and Amphitrite are fading, I don't know if he still does anymore. But yeah, he did. And like I said, their love for each other was a lot like yours and Annabeth's."

Percy looked at the sea, and Nico turned his gaze out towards the sea, too.

After a minute's silence, Percy turned to Nico. "How can you stand it?"

Nico turned away from the sea to look at him. "Stand what?"

"Watching Annabeth and me?"

Nico laughed, a true, full laugh. "Percy, Athena's patronage protects me from any and all romantic attachments I've had in the past, present, or future. But even if I didn't have her patronage, I'm not a fool. I'm many things, Percy. I'm dark, brooding, conniving, political, strong, begrudging, and many other things. But I'm not delusional."

Percy raised his eyebrow at him.

"Percy, I watched you travel the entire country to the Titans' stronghold to save Annabeth at the age of fourteen. I watched you bear the weight of the sky to save her at the age of fourteen. I watched you travel the labyrinth and face its darkest secrets for her at the age of fifteen. I watched you leave Calypso's paradise of a home for her at the age of fifteen. You could have stayed with Calypso, been happy, avoided the Great Prophecy, gotten a beautiful woman as your bride, and ignored a lot of pain. There was even a back-up plan for the prophecy, me, who could have filled your role if you so chose. But you willingly chose to endure all that pain and have the fate of the world on your shoulders just so you could be with Annabeth. I saw Annabeth both figuratively and literally tie you to the mortal world when you bathed in the Styx. I saw you lead an army in her name. I saw you wake up from an eight-month slumber with her name as your sole memory. I saw you fall into Hell for her. Percy, I'm many things, but I'm not delusional. This is why when Aphrodite wanted to use me as a ploy in your love story to make it more dramatic than it already was, I refused and fought back."

"Wait, she wanted to make you part of my love story?"

Nico gave him a shrewd smile. "She tried her hardest. She tried to make me one more plot device in her overall story about the love between you two."

"When was this?"

"A few months before the Battle of Manhattan."

Percy looked at him in shock. "I wasn't with Annabeth then… Why didn't you play along?"

"Percy, I have no interest in coming between true love that had already formed and existed. And I had no interest in becoming more of a plot device than I already am in the story being written by the gods. I knew that you and Annabeth had true love between you two even back then. So I fought back against Aphrodite's attempts. I defeated her in single combat. She promised to make my love life miserable for all time because of it, but I'm not going to interfere in other people's happiness if I can help it."

Percy was surprised. "You're brave, Nico."

"So I've heard," he remarked dryly.

"Doesn't it ever hurt, though?"

"No," Nico responded. "I have found my other happiness: keeping my fellow demigods alive and safe from harm."

"But don't you ever wish you could have your own love? Your own happy ending?" Percy pressed on.

Nico shook his head. "Percy, I'm the Prince of the Underworld. I'm the chosen ruler of the dead should my father pass away. No one will ever love me. And this is the only happy ending I could get, anyway, just being accepted by the people around me and serving the heroes."

"I'm sorry. I should have known," Percy said softly after a minute's silence.

Nico laughed again. "Percy, you're as blind as Tiresias when it comes to people's feelings, both towards you and towards others. And like I said, I didn't want you to find out. The only reason I even told you the day after we came back from Olympus is because I wanted to gain the trust of all you guys."

"Still," Percy insisted. "I wish I could help you out some way."

Nico turned a guarded expression to him, but there was fire in his eyes. And Percy was scared of this demigod all over again.

"I'm not interested in your pity, Percy," Nico said curtly. "And I'm not interested in anything you might do out of sorrow and pity for me. I've accepted my fate. I don't want you to do anything rash that will make both of us regret our lives."

Percy flinched.

"You love Annabeth with all your heart. Anyone with eyes can see that. Don't do anything that might cause you to regret your actions. I've lived my entire life in solitude, and now, with Athena's blessing, I have finally found peace within myself. Let it be that way. I am not interested in becoming a tale of tragedy like Hephaestus and Aphrodite," Nico finished with a stony expression.

Percy flinched again but nodded. He didn't know what he would have done out of his pity for Nico and/or his loyalty to his friends. But he knew that Nico didn't want any such pity from him. He understood that Nico had accepted his choices and fate. He looked at his friend in sadness, finally understanding what Hera had told him. Nico was beyond the help of Percy Jackson now. Nico had faced too many horrors and terrors on his own and was forced to grow up too fast for him to accept any protection or sympathy from Percy, let alone pity. Nico's fate was truly in his own hands now.

"What's the tragedy surrounding Hephaestus and Aphrodite?" Percy finally asked.

Nico didn't respond for a minute. "I think we should get to bed now. That's a story for a different day. Come on."

Nico stood up and offered his hand to Percy. Percy grasped Nico's arm and pulled himself up.

The two friends walked side-by-side back to their cabin.

Percy's love for Annabeth was reaffirmed.

Nico's determination to live life on his own was reaffirmed.

Poseidon's true love for Amphitrite was reaffirmed.

Amphitrite's ending days were reaffirmed.

* * *

Chiron was in his full centaur form, and Lupa was in her human form. The Council had assembled to welcome the newly trained demigods that Chiron and Lupa were passing on to them.

"Honorable Councilors," Lupa announced. "Today, Chiron and I are here to pass along to you one hundred newly trained demigods, all of whom are above the age of thirteen. They will be passed into the custody of Fort Olympus for you to do as you see fit."

"Enter, heroes," Chiron called.

Out of the side entrance, one hundred kids walked into the Council House and formed into ranks before the Councilors. They were aged between thirteen and seventeen. It seemed the gods had kept their promises to deliver all of their children of age as soon as possible so as to make the transition as quick as possible.

The Councilors were dressed in their traditional attire. The Greek Councilors were in silver chitons, and the Romans were in golden togas, except for Reyna who donned her purple praetor toga.

Annabeth stood up. She held the golden scepter that symbolized her as the Marshall of all Greco-Roman demigods. She walked to the front of the Councilors' table and faced the assembled phalanx of newly trained heroes before her.

In unison, the demigods got down onto one of their knees and bowed their heads to her in respect.

"Rise, heroes," she ordered.

The demigods rose as one well-oiled machine.

"You will all find weapons in the armory if you can. If none in the armory fit your needs, you are to find the forgers of Cabin Nine and have your weapons made with the right payment as needed. You will all be split evenly into two new divisions, 11 and 12. Your barracks have been prepared. Your officers have been chosen. Your division assignments; in Greek, Latin, and English; are rolling on the projectors above. Once you find your assignment, travel to the armory and then to your barracks. Division 11, your commanding officer, or strategos, will be Clarisse La Rue. Division 12, your strategos will be Hank Arland, former centurion of the Twelfth Legion's Third Cohort. Both strategos have chosen their commanding centurions with the approval of the Council. Do know, however, that each of your divisions will be short of three needed centurions. We are hoping that some of you will exhibit the leadership skills we are looking for to make you leaders of your own cohorts. Dismissed."

Immediately, the phalanx turned on itself, and each rank filed through the door.

After all one hundred demigods had left, Chiron and Lupa turned back to the Council.

"We will be here, tomorrow, Councilors, with another fifty fully trained demigods. With the influx of new demigods we are expecting, we are hoping to have the first 500 trained and ready within these next few months so that we can give the coming 2,000 demigods our full attention for the next five years," Lupa explained.

"Understood, Lupa," Annabeth responded. "Thank you for both of your services. The demigods are forever in your debt."

Chiron and Lupa nodded before heading out.

"So that's a total of twelve divisions that we have now, with three abroad," Piper commented.

"Yes," Annabeth said. "Roughly speaking, there are a little more than 600 demigods under the purview of Fort Olympus. And by the end of tomorrow, it will be a little more than 650."

"The gods really need to learn when to stop being ruled by their hormones," Leo muttered.

There was laughter at this.

"On a more serious note," Annabeth said, turning to her fellow Councilors. She had chosen not to take her seat, yet. "I think we should have elections tomorrow for the unfilled Councilor positions and Marshall."

The other Councilors looked at her in shock.

"Why?" Hazel inquired.

"I just feel like we should give the people under us a fair say in what they're doing. It's not right for people not directly voted upon to make laws for the people under them."

"Annabeth, we don't have time for that," Thalia interrupted. "We have more important things to worry about. We've got a city to run, demigods to train, and strongholds to defend. We can worry about elections at the summer solstice next year."

Annabeth shook her head. "I still don't think that's right."

"If we're going to hold elections," Reyna said smoothly, "then it is necessary to hold elections for the praetorship of New Rome as well. We're well overdue, so I suggest that if we're going to have elections for the Council and Marshall, we let the Romans vote on their praetors as well at the same ballot."

"How about we talk about potential elections at another time?" Frank interrupted. "Right now, we need to focus on the Elgin Marbles. Are we leaving today for Europe?"

"No," Percy said. "My mom wanted me to bring all you guys over to my house for dinner tonight."

"We can't all leave the Fort at the same time," Nico exclaimed. "You guys can go. I'll take care of the Fort."

"No," Percy said firmly. "My mom specifically said to bring _all_ of you guys. She wants to formally meet her son's friends before making the move to Thebes."

"We can ask Chiron and Lupa to take care of the Fort," Annabeth said. "If it's only for dinner, it shouldn't be a problem. We'll be fine."

Nico looked unconvinced but nodded.

* * *

"Can we talk?" Nico asked Reyna.

Reyna looked at her friend with questions in her eyes but nodded. Lunch had just ended, and everyone was off doing their daily activities.

"Did we have the same dream last night?" Nico asked her.

Reyna turned to him in surprise. "So you felt it, too?"

Nico hesitantly nodded. "The scene with Hector and Aeneas and the Palladium? Yeah, I had that dream."

"Me, too," Reyna admitted.

"What do you think it means?"

"No idea."

"Wonderful."

They started walking to the classrooms. They were supposed to be teaching Latin classes right now.

"Are you worried?" Nico asked her.

"Obviously."

"I think there's a connection between the Palladium, the Athena Parthenos, and the Elgin Marbles."

Reyna snorted. "Seeing as they were all taken from their homeland to become the symbols of a new empire, yes, I would tend to agree with you."

Nico shook his head. "That's not what I meant, Rey."

Reyna flinched. Nico had started calling her that on their way across Europe, but she still wasn't used to the nickname.

"Everything is connected to Athena. These statues, the new Great Prophecy… I don't get it. Something's off here."

"It's time for class, Nico," Reyna interrupted. "We'll talk afterwards."

* * *

"Why're you sending us to Paris?" Percy asked Annabeth.

The two were in her office.

Annabeth smirked at Percy. "Because I want to get away from you for two weeks, clearly."

"Gee, tell me how you really feel why don't you?"

Annabeth laughed. "I just need you guys to check some things for me in the Louvre. And the _Argo II _would be destroyed by Zeus and Poseidon if Nico's on it without you and Jason."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, now what's the real reason?"

"I need you guys to see if our guesses about the gods' movements are correct. I want to see if you guys find any remains to indicate the gods were there for long."

Annabeth hesitated for a minute before continuing, "And I want you to see what the statues and paintings of Marianne are like."

Percy raised his eyebrow at her. "Can't we just look at them online?"

Annabeth shook her head. "Percy, imitations of an imitation are never successful. I want to hear a firsthand account. And I trust you more than anyone else here to do it."

He nodded. "Marianne is another name for Athena, isn't it?"

Annabeth smirked at him. "You're catching on, Seaweed Brain."

Percy glared at the name, but there was a twinkle in his eyes.

"Yes, Marianne is another name for mom. Almost all western national personifications are just different versions of her. Marianne is the French national personification. If my guess is right, then everything we're doing right now is centered around mom. And if we can unlock the tangled mess… Well, you and I finally be free of prophecies and problems forever."

Percy smiled. He liked the sound of that. "Do you think we'll ever be able to live safely?" He asked softly.

Annabeth hesitated. "I don't know, Percy," she said truthfully. "I know you thought we had a future in New Rome, but that's clearly not going to happen anymore."

Percy looked down. He took her hand. "I just want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Annabeth smiled and kissed him softly. "I know," she said quietly. "Percy, I love you more than you'll ever know. But it looks like we'll have to save the world one last time before we can get our happily ever after."

Percy looked deep into her eyes. "I'll wait," he said firmly. "I love you, Annabeth. You're worth the wait. And I know that as long as you're by my side, we'll conquer everything."

The two beloveds smiled at each other before leaning in.

* * *

Thalia hacked away at the dummy in front of her. She knew that attacking a dummy wasn't actually going to improve her sparring skills, but she needed to keep herself occupied somehow.

"Care to spar, sis?"

Thalia turned to see Jason smirking at her, his show raised.

Thalia laughed. "Sure little brother," she teased. "But I should probably tell you that I've only been beaten once in sparring."

"Well, it's time to change that streak, isn't it?"

Thalia rolled her eyes. She opened her shield and grabbed her spear in her free hand.

Jason held up his rectangular Roman shield in his left hand with his gladius in the other.

Thalia sized him up. He was taller and bigger than her, and his shield was much larger than hers. But the extra weight meant he wouldn't be able to dodge as quickly as she could attack. His strengths would ultimately become his weakness.

Jason attacked first, slashing downwards. Thalia easily intercepted the blow with Aegis and spun her spear around. Jason lost his footing.

"That all you got?" she taunted.

He growled and came at her with rage. Thalia smirked at her younger brother's pride.

She intercepted his blow with Aegis and jabbed at his thighs. Jason barely got his shield down to block the hit.

She didn't notice the feint until it was too late, though. Jason slashed at her shoulder, causing her to put her shield up. At the last second, he pulled his sword down and pointed it at her neck.

"Dead," he grinned wickedly.

She merely smirked. "Sure about that?" She asked coyly. He blinked. Suddenly, he felt a jab in his chest where her spear was pointed at his heart.

Jason laughed. "Okay, Thals, okay. How about we call this a draw."

Thalia snorted. "Oh Jason," she said sweetly, "I was just getting warmed up."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Come on. Piper wants us anyway."

Thalia condensed her shield back into tis cylinder and put her shield up. The two walked to the stands were Piper had been watching.

"Impressive," Piper commented.

Thalia smirked. "You've seen nothing, hon," she promised.

Piper laughed. "I'm sure. This kid here sure loves getting his butt whooped," Piper said, affectionately ruffling Jason's hair.

"Yes, yes he does," Thalia grinned.

Jason pouted at the two. "I hate you both," he muttered.

Piper kissed him and grinned. "Sure about that, sweetie?"

The glazed look in his eyes and the grin on his face seemed to say otherwise.

"Has my brother been taking good care of you?" Thalia asked Piper.

Piper grinned. "Well, you know."

Thalia raised her eyebrow at Jason who cowered away.

"Relax, Jason, I'm kidding. He's been great Thals."

"Good. Just let me know if he ever acts up. It's been a long time since I've actually raised him anyway," she smirked.

Piper grinned.

"Hey, kids," Percy yelled from the top of the arena, "If you're done, you need to go get ready. We're heading to my mom's in fifteen minutes!"

* * *

"Welcome!" Sally exclaimed to all of them. She engulfed Percy in a hug, understandably so considering she hadn't seen her son in almost a year.

"Mom, you're smothering me!" Percy mumbled.

The guys snickered while the girls smirked.

Sally laughed. "This is the first time I'm seeing my son in a year. Do you think I _wouldn't_ be smothering him?"

Percy grumbled something that no one heard.

"Paul!"

"Yes, Sally?" He said from the kitchen.

"Is dinner ready?"

"It will be soon!"

Paul came out of the kitchen in an apron. He grinned at the demigods. "So who are these phenomenal people I've heard so much about?"

Percy mumbled something. "Well, you already know Thalia, Nico, Rachel, and Annabeth. The rest are Leo, Son of Hephaestus; Piper, Daughter of Aphrodite; Jason, Son of Jupiter; Frank, Son of Mars and Legacy of Poseidon; Ryan, Son and Augur of Apollo; Hazel, Daughter of Pluto; and Reyna, Daughter of Bellona."

Paul raised his eyebrow at Reyna. "Roman goddess of war?" He inquired.

Reyna nodded. "Yes, Mr. Blowfis."

"And senior praetor of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata, I hear," Paul commented.

Reyna gave him a steely look but nodded once more.

"Well, then! Welcome to all of you! I'd give you the tour of the house," Sally said, "but there isn't much to see. Do whatever you want. Dinner will be ready soon."

* * *

"So these people are the most powerful demigods," Paul mused to Sally in the kitchen.

"Apparently," Sally agreed. "They're the permanent members of the Council of Demigods."

"What's that?"

"No idea. Percy didn't really give me much of an explanation—"

"It's the Council who runs Fort Olympus," Annabeth said. She'd snuck into the kitchen to talk to Sally after the introductions and to help prepare.

"What's Fort Olympus?" Sally questioned.

Annabeth explained in detail how after the end of the war, the gods had ended both Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood and had converged all demigods on Fort Olympus. She explained how the Council was composed and run as well as the Fort itself.

"So there's literally an army of Greek and Roman heroes in New York," Paul said after she was done.

Annabeth nodded.

"Who's Marshall?"

"Me."

Sally grinned and pulled Annabeth into a hug. "Congrats!"

"Thanks, Sally," Annabeth smiled.

* * *

"Can I talk to you guys?"

Sally and Paul were in their room. Dinner had finished, and the demigods were enjoying their night off form duties.

Percy had entered the room.

"Sure, Percy," Sally smiled. "What's going on?"

"I love you, mom," he said sadly.

Sally's brows knit together. "I love you, too, Percy. What's going on?"

Percy sighed. Paul gave him a concerned look.

"I think we're going to have to go to war again soon."

Sally's face fell, and Paul's expression became downcast.

"What now?" Paul asked.

"We don't know. Rachel just gave the newest Great Prophecy a few weeks ago, and we're all in it."

"Okay," Sally muttered.

"Mom, Paul, I wanted to ask you something…"

"Anything, sweetie."

"I don't know what else the Fates have in store for me. I could die literally at any moment—"

"Percy, please, don't talk like that," Sally pleaded.

Percy shook his head. "Mom, you know it's true. I don't want to take the chance anymore."

He explained his idea and plan to his parents.

Sally pursed her lips, but Paul looked proud.

"Go for it, Percy," Paul beamed. "If you honestly think you're ready, it's fine by me."

"Mom?"

Sally looked at her son in a new light. She still remembered the kid who had begged her not to leave him on his first day of preschool. He had grown up a lot. He had saved the world twice, and he had fought more monsters than imaginable. "Alright, Percy. I give you my blessing. Your heart was always in the right place. Good luck, okay?"

Percy grinned at his parents. "Thanks!"

"Are you sure you're not rushing into things?" Sally asked, worried.

Percy shook his head. "Mom, I've thought about it a lot. And I'm ready for the future. I'm ready for what may come. I don't want to take the chance of being lost and away again. I couldn't stand it if—"

"Alright, Percy," his mom interrupted. "I get it. Go with my blessing."

* * *

"Ahem," Paul cleared his throat.

The twelve teenagers turned to him and immediately got quiet.

"Sally and I have an announcement to make."

There was confusion among everyone at this.

"Percy," Paul turned his grin to his stepson, "you have a younger sister."

Percy's jaw dropped, and there was an audible silence in the room.

"Congrats!" Piper finally exclaimed!

With laughs, congratulations and greetings were shared.

"Where is she?" Percy asked his stepfather.

"Here," Sally walked in with her arms cradling a baby girl in a pink blanket.

Percy immediately rushed over, with his friends behind him.

"What's her name?" He asked softly.

"We haven't decided," Paul said, smiling down at his stepson, daughter, and wife.

"How old is she?" Percy demanded. "Can I hold her," he all but begged his mom.

Sally laughed before letting Percy hold his sister. "She's two weeks old."

Just then, the baby girl opened her eyes and began crying.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees, and the shadows became longer and darker.

Everyone turned to Nico, who was staring at Percy's younger sister wish shock, terror, and a faint mix of hope in his face.

"Nico, are you okay?" Reyna asked him, concerned.

When Nico didn't respond, Reyna took his hand and intertwined their fingers. Nico jolted back to life at the contact, a wild gleam in his eyes.

"It's her," he whispered.

"Who?" Hazel demanded. Everyone else was looking at Nico in wariness and shock.

Nico met everyone's eyes individually before resting on Percy's.

"It's Bianca's reincarnation," he said, looking at Percy.

Percy's eyes opened wide at this.

Nico collapsed and blacked out. The overbearing darkness in the room receded at this, and the temperature returned to normalcy.

Everyone was looking frantically between the fainted Nico and the baby still crying in Percy's hands with one thought in their minds.

_Nico's older sister, who had loved Nico with all her being, had reincarnated as his cousin's younger sister._

"How would he know?" Sally asked, watching as Hazel and Reyna tried to revive Nico.

"He's the Prince of the Underworld, Sally," Annabeth said softly, "And he's Hestia's Champion. He knows these sorts of things."

* * *

**Author's Note**: I really had a lot of fun with this chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed it, too!

Also, I'll leave it to your imagination what Percy might have done to Nico in the third scene in this chapter where Nico says that he doesn't want Percy's pity. ;D I have an idea of what Percy might do or try to do, but I'll let you guys come up with your views on that! And let me know what you think of what I pulled at the end!

I'd also like to mention here that I'm going to be uncensoring a lot of the mythology that Riordan edited to be more suitable for kids, so do be warned that as I keep writing, the mythology I'm going to incorporate in my fic will be a lot more shrewd, accurate, and appalling than what Riordan does. Unlike Riordan's series, my fic is _not_ meant to be read by kids under the age of thirteen, so please to remember that! :) I'm going to be introducing a lot more plots and be taking up and exploring a lot more of the darker aspects of the Ancient Greek religion than Riordan does. Just a fair warning!

Oh, and yeah, again, I have finals for the next week and a half or so, so I won't be able to write and update until at least then. Sorry guys! But since this was a pretty lengthy chapter, I hope it'll suffice for a little bit! :)

Anyway, as always, please leave a review and let me know what you think!

**Review Replies**:

Lupita: (Chapter 8) Thank you for your feedback! I definitely intend to explore Hazel's and Nico's sibling relationship a bit more, especially after what I just pulled today! :) I think you'll enjoy how I plan to answer the rest of your questions about the past mythology and stuff! Just wait! And yes! I was hoping someone would appreciate that I put in Riordan's name hahaha! Thank you for noticing! :D

TheGoddessIsAlive: (Chapter 8) Thank you for your feedback! I will definitely keep it in mind! :)

sonofposeidon: (Chapter 2) Hahaha you give me too much credit! However, unfortunately, I must disclaim all of it because I a merely playing around with the fantastic universe created by Riordan; I have not really done anything on my own to merit publication.

sonofposeidon: (Chapter 3) Thank you!

sonofposeidon: (Chapter 5) Thank you!

WeirdandCracy: (Chapter 8) You got your wish!

HaywireEagle: (Chapter 1) Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it! :) Originally, I was just going to let the first chapter stand alone as a oneshot, but then Lord Apollo and the Nine Muses came to me and commanded that I write this story. All the credit goes to them! ;) Hahaha

HaywireEagle: (Chapter 2) Thank you for your feedback! And actually, Nico was never my favorite character, no matter how it might seem from reading this fic of mine. My favorite _Percy Jackson and the Olympians/The Heroes of Olympus_ character has always been and will always be Annabeth! I just really like exploring this side of Nico that I gave him. I thought it would be interesting! And I haven't really seen many fics where Nico is this powerful, so I kind of wanted to write one such fic. However, I do have to respectfully disagree with you in that Nico wouldn't be as powerful as Percy, if not moreso, in the books. Hazel says in _The Son of Neptune_ that Nico is the most powerful demigod she's ever met, other than Percy, and that Nico is more powerful than Jason. In _The Mark of Athena_, Percy and Jason are more than even matches for each other in Kansas; they basically neutralize each other's powers. However, in _The House of Hades_, Jason admits that Nico would be too powerful for him to take on. And considering the fact that Jason and Percy are essentially on par and taking into account this fact that Nico is more powerful than Jason, I think it can be surmised through roundabout and circular logic that Nico is at least as powerful as Percy and definitely more powerful than Jason. But that's just my view!

Haywire Eagle: (Chapter 8) Thank you for this! I hope you continue to read and enjoy this fic! :D And don't worry, the reason I made Nico the Champion of Hestia in addition to being the Son of Hades/Pluto is going to be very important later in the story. There is a reason for it. ;D

PsychicAuraKing123: (Chapter 8) I mean, Percy still has all of his powers, _and_ he's the Champion of Hera. How would I make him more powerful, exactly? XD As for what Jason will be remembered for, honestly, I don't think he'll be remembered for much other than just being one of the Seven. The reason I say this is because there are _tons_ of demigod children of Zeus; Jason is just one of many. Jason's accomplishments are great, but he will always live in the shadow of his half-brothers Perseus, Heracles, Dionysus, Amphion, Zethus, etc. This is just my views. But as you can clearly see, Jason is still a very important character in my fic.

0oDemigod: (Chapter 8) Thank you! :)

Geek4Greek: (Chapter 8) Thank you for your feedback! :)

The Son of Hades123: (Chapter 8) Thank you so much for your feedback! I really appreciate it! Actually, now that you say that I should show them having some fun, I have a horrible urge to write a chapter where they all just go have a karaoke night! LOL! And hmmm would you say that their speech outside Council is too formal? I'll definitely try to fix that since you mentioned it! I have a lot of characters, so I unfortunately haven't been able to show Thalia's and Nico's relationship well, but I will definitely try to do that from now on! :) And I never really realized that until you pointed it out, but looking back on it, Nico has definitely become my most major character in this story. But now that you've mentioned it, I'm definitely going to give the rest of them spotlights! I hope this chapter stepped back from solely focusing on Nico. Let me know what you think! And thanks again for the well thought out review! I greatly appreciate it!


	10. Chapter 10: Proposal

**Author's Note**: Well hello again after so long! Sorry it took this long to get this chapter out, but I just finished finals on Monday. In order to make up for the long wait, I've written an extra long chapter! And I think you guys will really like what I do in this chapter hahaha!

Also, I did upload a new oneshot called _Last Wish_. I would greatly appreciate it if you guys checked it out and let know what you think! :)

As always, please read and review! :D

**Disclaimer: **_Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ and _The Heroes of Olympians_ and all things related are property of Rick Riordan and Disney Hyperion. I am not making any profit off of this work in any way, shape, or form.

Fort Olympus

* * *

**Chapter 10: Proposal**

* * *

When Nico finally came to, he found Hazel sitting next to him on the Blofis' couch. Paul and Sally had apparently gone to bed, and all the other Councilors had returned to Fort Olympus. But Paul and Sally had insisted Nico stay until he was back to normalcy, and Hazel had offered to stay with him.

He groaned at the pain forming in the back of his head. He rubbed the sore spot and flinched as the memories of the past few hours came rushing back to him.

"I'm sorry," he finally said to his sister.

Hazel looked at him in alarm. "Nico, you have _nothing _to apologize for."

"I don't know what came over me…"

"Nico," she soothed, "You were overwhelmed. It's okay. I understand."

Nico looked at his lap in dejection. "So my older sister is reincarnated as my cousin's younger sister." He laughed bitterly. "Isn't Fate just wonderful?"

Hazel looked at Nico in both pain and envy. She knew he loved her as a younger sister. But she also knew that he missed having his older sister with him dearly. She couldn't relate directly, but she wished she could fill the void that Bianca had left in his heart when she died. But she knew she never could. Nico's heart was forever damaged by his sister's loss, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Hazel hugged him tightly, and he wrapped his arms around her.

"You're my sister, too, you know. And I'm _never_ going to turn my back on you."

Hazel smiled at her older brother. "I know. I love you, Nico."

Nico grinned down at her. "I love you, too. I swear to all the gods that I'll always protect you."

Hazel looked at him with both happiness and fear. She wondered if he was only doing this because he knew how hard it was to lose the person who cared about him.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she said finally.

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. The past is the past."

"Still… It's almost like the Fates are mocking you."

He laughed bitterly. "It wouldn't be the first time."

They sat in each other's embrace for another minute.

"We should go back to the Fort," Nico finally said.

"Okay. Nico, if you ever need anyone to talk to… Well, you're still my older brother. And I still want to help you in any way I can, okay?"

Nico smiled at her. "I know. Thanks, Haze."

The two shadow traveled back to Fort Olympus.

"It's like the gods are trying to mock me in every way they can think of," he muttered as they walked back to the Council's cabin.

Hazel didn't know what to say to that, so she only wrapped her arm around his waist.

"I'm never going back to their house again. I can't."

"You won't have to unless you want to," Hazel reminded him.

"And I'm never doing it again. I don't think I'll be able to face it again. Thank god it's not actually Bianca, though. I might actually hate Percy even more if she was."

"How do you think Percy's dealing with the news?" Hazel asked cautiously.

Nico snorted. "That's an easy one. He's berating him about letting her die the first time. And he's probably made a promise that he won't let anything happen to her this time. He'll do whatever he can to make up for his broken promise and supposed failure in her last life."

"You know him well."

He gave her a sardonic grin. "I've known the kid for years now, Hazel, and I've been assigned as his protector for the past year. I know how he thinks."

Hazel raised her eyebrow at him.

"I don't have to be Athena to figure out his fatal flow, you know," he remarked. "He doesn't do a very good job of hiding it or even trying to overcome it. It's a miracle he hasn't been destroyed by his enemies, yet."

Hazel didn't respond.

"Are you going to accept immortality?" She asked finally.

He turned to her in surprise, but there was also a small amount of fear in his eyes.

She inwardly cringed. She really didn't want to lose her brother again. She'd already lost her entire family once; she couldn't handle it if she lost her remaining family yet again.

"I don't know," he said softly. "But I think the decision might be out of my control."

Hazel looked at him in grief. "I don't want to lose you."

He pulled her into a hug. "And I'm _never_ going to leave you. I'm not going to turn my back on my family, okay? I promise."

Hazel nodded into his chest.

He kissed her forehead before the two separated to their rooms.

Hazel understood why he made the promise that he did. He knew what it felt like to be abandoned by the only family he had left. And he was never going to let Hazel feel that sort of loss and depression again, not after he had to deal with that trouble. For his promise to keep her safe from the hurt that he'd felt, Hazel had never loved her brother more.

She returned to Morpheus' and Hypnos' realms with happy thoughts and a smile on her face.

* * *

Nico decided that night that demigod dreams sucked. There was simply no other way to describe it. He wished there was a way to end them once and for all. All they ever did was hurt the receiver. It almost seemed like Morpheus found a morbid enjoyment out of torturing the souls of demigods—who already had shitty lives as it was.

_"The typhoon comes from the East," Athena warned the Council of Olympus._

_Nico could tell that the gods were still in Ancient Greece because they were wearing their traditional clothing, pure white chitons, and they spoke in pure Ancient Greek, Doric Ancient Greek to be exact._

_"What do you suggest we do, my favored child?" Zeus questioned._

_"Our people must be prepared. Let them understand the dangers and the powers. Let them defend themselves. Unity is the only way for them to defeat the foes."_

_Ares snorted. "Sparta will never work with Athens."_

_Athena turned her cold eyes to Ares. "Perhaps you wish destruction upon our people, Ares," she said coolly. "But I do not. I will see that they succeed. If the legacy of Western civilization is to live on, it must first survive this test."_

_"How do we pass this information on?" Zeus asked._

_"The Spartan people will consult Apollo's Oracle, Father. I advise you to reveal the two options to the Spartans. Athens has already offered its hand of friendship to Sparta; Sparta just needs to accept it."_

_"If Sparta joins in this battle, they will lose their greatest king!" Hera said as she narrowed her eyes._

_Athena turned to the Queen calmly. "Sacrifices must be made for the greater good, my stepmother. Sparta has a choice, whether it will seek to keep its legacy intact for all time, or will it keep its king but be razed to the ground."_

_"I support Athena's suggestion," Poseidon announced._

_Athena turned a grateful but suspicious expression to her Uncle._

_"I have no intention of seeing the Greek legacy be destroyed," Poseidon continued. "The Greek people are the greatest to ever grace this Earth. They are creating a new civilization, one that will rule for millennia to come. We must support them in their time of need."_

_"So be it," Zeus said with finality. "My Son, deliver the news to the people."_

_Apollo's eyes became blank, and he fell into a trance. "_Beware Sons of Ares, for either Sparta will be burned to the ground, or she shall lose her great king. The typhoon approaches from the East._"_

_The scene of the Council faded into mist, and the mist reformed into a mountain with a pass next to it on the Aegean Sea._

_A Greek army was on one side of the pass, led by the familiar Hoplite soldiers of Sparta. On the other side of the pass, a foreign army was assembled. This side seemed darker, and more sinister. There was an army of hundreds of thousands of soldiers bearing down on the Greeks. Looking down on the invading force, Nico couldn't understand how the Greeks managed to win this battle._

_Over the Aegean Sea, two navies had assembled. Immediately, Nico knew that the Athenians were leading the Greek fleet, which was hopelessly outnumbered by the enemy. The Greek fleet numbered less than 300, while the invading force easily numbered over a thousand._

_Looking down at the parallel battles about to be fought over land and sea, Nico couldn't understand how the Greeks would have won. They were hopelessly outnumbered and outmatched._

_With a jolt, he realized that the Greeks _hadn't_ won. He was watching the Battle of Thermopylae and the Battle of Artemisium. The respective Greek commanders were King Leonidas of Sparta on land and Strategos Themistocles of Athens at sea. This was when the fate of Greece had rested on the few's shoulders, and the few had done what they could to delay the invading Persian forces._

Nico woke up to sunlight invading his gaze through the windows. Dimly, he was aware that he was alone in the male Councilors' room.

He then noticed that there was an eight-year-old girl sitting in front of the brazier. He got up and bowed.

"My Lady."

Hestia nodded at him. "Welcome, Councilor di Angelo. Would you like some breakfast."

Nico's stomach grumbled, and he flushed. The goddess chuckled and offered him a full meal.

"You slept through breakfast. You actually just woke up in time to prepare for the Council meeting today."

Nico didn't say anything. He just looked at her in surprise.

Hestia nodded. "You wonder what your dream means."

"Yes, My Lady."

"Ah," she mulled. "Time is always difficult, as is Fate, my hero. The past and the present are never as different from each other as one would like to have you think. You must learn from the wisdom of the past to create a better future."

"Does that mean we're going to face a problem?"

Hestia turned to him with a cocked eyebrow. "I don't know what the future holds, Nico. But I can tell you that you will be refighting the Battles of Thermopylae and Artemisium."

"What do you mean?"

"A great challenge approaches for Fort Olympus from the East. Every time the dynasties of the heavens change or are forced one way or another, it is reflected by an imbalance on Earth. A great evil comes to Fort Olympus from the East, and the only way to defeat it is to fully combine and unite Greece and Rome. Persia nearly defeated Greece for all time, but the only reason that they were unable to do so is because the rivals set aside their differences to become one family. They fought together, and they saved their own past. Sparta was never a naval power, and Athens was never a land power. But together, they complemented each other and completed each other. Fort Olympus' Greek and Roman halves must do the same. Rome's greatest commanders and Greece's greatest commanders must come together and lead the way to the future."

Nico stared at his Patron goddess with his jaw down.

She smiled at him warmly. "Go to the Council House. Your meeting will be starting soon. I believe the Lady Marshall will be sending you off on your quest to Britain tonight. Be prepared for many challenges, my young one."

Nico nodded and left to get ready. He knew he couldn't defy the goodbyes of a goddess.

* * *

"Well Councilor di Angelo, how nice of you to finally grace us with your wonderful presence, O Patron of Fort Olympus," Jason smirked as Nico walked into the meeting ten minutes late.

Nico scowled back at his friend, but there was mirth in his eyes. "Well, I'm as fashionably late as I always am, Councilor Grace."

"Of course! How could I forget? It's almost—"

"Enough!" Annabeth cut off their banter with a roll of her eyes. "It's time to prepare for introducing the thirteenth division. Now all of you _males_ go change into your formalwear." She rolled her eyes at their forgetfulness. "Idiots."

Percy kissed her cheek. She scowled at him. He smirked at her. She rolled her eyes again and kissed him with a smile.

"You can never stay mad at me for too long," he whispered in her ear.

She raised her eyebrow. "If you don't go get changed, I might actually do so. No _go!_"

The males scrambled to the changing room, leaving the girls laughing.

"_Now_ do you understand why I swore off the company of idiots, Annabeth?" Thalia smirked.

"Yes."

The girls laughed.

Eventually, the guys returned.

"Well, Jason, Percy, and Frank," Nico began, "if you three would stop ogling your girlfriends, I'm sure our dear Lady Marshall has news for us."

Piper and Hazel blushed. Annabeth walked up to her boyfriend with a sweet smile on her face. She smacked his head.

"_OW!_"

Annabeth gave him another sweet smile. "That was for acting like an idiot."

Percy pouted.

Annabeth grinned at him. "But you're my idiot."

Percy grinned. "Kiss and make it better?"

Annabeth smiled and leaned in. A few centimeters away from his lips, she turned on her heel and marched back to her throne.

"If you wouldn't mind, my fellow Councilors," Leo called from his seat, "we would love to convene our Council today."

It was just the three smitten males who were left standing. Nico and Leo had taken their seats and joined the girls in mocking Jason, Percy, and Frank.

Soon enough, the new heroes had been initiated in the same manner as the ones yesterday had been.

After Chiron and Lupa left the Councilors to their own bearings, Annabeth turned to her people.

"I'm holding elections tomorrow."

"What for?" Piper asked.

"I want to fill the remaining Councilor seats as soon as we can, and I want it to happen before we send people off to Europe. It's already late. Lady Hera's deadline is fast approaching. The Elgin Marbles need to come back, and we need to bring back news from France."

"Wait," Jason interrupted, "you never told us any deadline for this!"

Annabeth didn't meet his eyes. She turned to Nico, and everyone understood that the two were having another one of their silent arguments.

"The deadline is August 24th," Nico finally said, looking down.

Annabeth glared at him. "Why do you insist on revealing information I tell you to keep yourself?" She complained.

"Annabeth, you know it's wrong to keep information from the people who deserve to know it."

She glared at him but didn't respond.

Percy spluttered. "That's six days from today!"

"So it's a normal quest!" Thalia remarked in faux cheer. "Being told to do the absolute impossible in the shortest amount of time! Let's do this!"

"You guys can't go until the day after tomorrow," Annabeth said. "I want to have elections done before we send you off."

"Why?" Reyna demanded.

"It's necessary," Annabeth insisted.

"So that leaves four days for us to get to Europe and bring those statues and that information back," Frank muttered.

"Yes. Council dismissed."

* * *

"Hey, Nico," Percy called him.

Nico had gone to the Arena after the Council session to train. Percy joined him.

Nico stopped hacking the dummy in front of him and turned to Percy. "What's up?"

Percy gulped. "Uh… I need a favor?"

Nico cocked his eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

"I need you to shadow travel me to San Francisco and then the Empire State Building."

"Why?"

"I kind of want to meet—"

"Oh, you finally got the guts to do the deed," Nico smirked.

Percy's face turned so red that it almost looked purple, and he started spluttering. "I—we—I—don't—didn't—we're waiting!"

Nico broke down into laughter. "Of course you thought of the extreme."

Percy glared at Nico.

Nico laughed. "I know what you meant. Did you go to the jewelry store?"

Percy flushed again before nodding.

Nico smirked. "Alright, where to first? I'm assuming you already talked to your mom about it?"

Percy nodded. "Uh… I don't want to have Athena kill me just yet, so let's go talk to Mr. Chase first."

"San Francisco it is," Nico said with a nod.

He grabbed Percy's hand, and they dropped into the dummy's shadow.

* * *

Moments later, they were standing in front of The Chases' house.

"So… do you want to knock on the door, or are you just going to stand there peeing your pants?" Nico smirked at his friends.

Percy glared at him, but the glare was negated by his red face.

Nico walked up the walkway, whistling. "Coming?" He called over his shoulder cheekily.

"I'm going to kill you, Death Boy," Percy muttered before following.

Nico grinned at him. "Can't wait. But right now, methinks you've got some… things to do," Nico said, motioning to the doorbell.

Percy glared at his friend before pressing the doorbell. He started tapping his foot nervously and frantically rubbing his hands on his jeans.

Nico leaned against wall with his arms crossed and watched Percy with a smirk. "This is better than a comedic movie," he remarked.

"After we're done, I'll kill you," Percy glared at his friend.

Nico was about to retort when the door opened to reveal Annabeth's father, Dr. Frederick Chase.

"Ah, Percy, welcome. Please come inside. How many I help you today?"

"Um, uh, well, uh…" Percy spluttered.

Nico suppressed a smirk. "Why don't we go inside, Percy?" He suggested.

Percy nodded, and the two followed Dr. Chase into the house.

"I'm just here for the entertainment, Perce," Nico whispered.

Percy punched his arm.

Nico rubbed the point of contact but kept smirking at his friend.

They entered the living room. Dr. Chase sat on the couch on one side of the coffee table, and the boys sat on the other side.

"So what brings you to San Francisco, Percy? I spoke to Annabeth just yesterday, and she told me everything was fine. Is there anything wrong up at the Fort or on Olympus?"

"No, Dr. Chase." Percy gulped. "Actually, I'm here for something different, something that's not related to the fate of the world for once, or at least, not directly related."

Dr. Chase raised his eyebrow and pursed his lips. "Alright then. What may I help you with? And might I be introduced to your friend?"

"Er, right, sorry! This is Nico di Angelo, Son of Lord Hades. He's one of the generals up at the Fort, and he's one of the most powerful and bravest demigods I've ever had the pleasure to know."

Dr. Chase extended his arm across the coffee table. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. di Angelo. I've heard quite a bit about you after the rewarding ceremonies up on Olympus a few weeks ago. You've become quite the legend among those of us related to the godly realms."

Nico smiled. "The pleasure is mine, Dr. Chase. Thank you for your welcome and hospitality on such little notice."

"So what do I owe this honor of having the Patron of all Greco-Roman demigods and the greatest hero of all time in my home on this fine day?"

Percy's palms began to sweat again. "Uh, sir, I was actually here to ask for, um, actually, I have to use the restroom first if you wouldn't mind."

Nico noticed that Dr. Chase was suppressing a grin. Nico bit his lip to keep from laughing. Percy's anxiety was too hilarious at this point.

"Down the hall, first door on the left," Dr. Chase pointed the way.

Percy bolted out of the living room.

Nico and Dr. Chase cracked up as soon as he vanished.

"My my," Dr. Chase remarked, "This young man can face down the worst monsters and most horrible enemies of the gods without an inkling of fear, but he can't even talk to his girlfriend's father with a straight face."

Nico smirked. "I've seen him destroy my father's armies and insult Lord Zeus without a second thought or regret. But right now, this is the most nervous I've _ever_ seen him. And I must admit it's quite hilarious."

The two men shared another laugh before Percy returned, visibly sweating.

Nico repressed his smirk. Dr. Chase forced an emotionless visage onto his face. The two shared knowing looks.

"So what would you like today, Percy?"

Percy muttered something under his breath that neither Nico nor Dr. Chase could hear.

"I'm sorry, Percy," Dr. Chase said without emotion, though there was a twinkle in his eye. "I didn't quite catch that. Could you repeat yourself please?"

Percy said in a rushed voice, still not meeting Dr. Chase's eyes, "Iwanttomarryhersir."

Nico snickered. Percy punched his arm again. Nico burst out laughing. Dr. Chase kept his façade of emotionlessness.

"Ah, Percy, I'm afraid I'm a bit too old to understand speech that quick. Could you please slow down? And it is polite to look the person in the eye whom you are addressing you know."

Nico stopped laughing and watched the exchange with an amused smile, and even Dr. Chase was allowing his amusement to show by the upturn of his lips.

Percy took a deep breath and looked Dr. Chase in the eye. "Sir, I wanted to ask permission to wed your daughter. I'm asking for Annabeth's hand in marriage."

Nico smiled and silently congratulated Percy for finally getting it out.

Dr. Chase smiled as well. "It's nice that you finally were able to calm your nerves to get your request out, Percy. I am impressed. Now, you're both only seventeen. I understand that you've been through a lot together, but do you honestly feel you're ready?"

Percy nodded, a steely glint in his eye and his jaw set in a hard line. "Yes, sir. Annabeth and I have already faced countless enemies and came back alive. We've fought through two wars and lived to tell the tale. I love her more than I love anything else. She's everything to me. I would go to Hell and back for her—"

"He's actually done it by the way," Nico added somberly.

Dr. Chase looked sad but nodded. Clearly, he knew what they were referring to.

"Dr. Chase, she is my soul mate. I can't live without her. I would rather face all of Tartarus' fury and destruction than spend another minute away from her. Please, sir, I know we're young, but there's nothing that can come between our love."

Dr. Chase nodded sadly. "I don't doubt your love for my daughter, Percy, and I don't doubt her love for you. But I wonder why you choose now to get married."

"Sir, demigods have always lived short lives. Living to the age of seventeen… especially ones as powerful as Annabeth and me, it's almost unheard of in the Greek world. I don't want to take the chance that I won't be able to do this later. We've both already almost died so many times. I don't want our next close encounter to be the last without saying our vows."

Percy looked at Nico as if asking for permission. Nico understood immediately what Percy wanted to do and nodded, giving his assent.

"Sir, we just got a new Great Prophecy about a week and a half ago—"

"Again?" Dr. Chase asked incredulously.

Percy nodded sadly. "Yes, and it's already begun. We've already lived through two wars, and we're on the doorstep of a third. I don't want to take the chance that I or Annabeth might die without cementing our love for each other. We already lost eight months together in the last war… I don't think I could stand it if we weren't able to live through this war to marry later. Please, sir, this might be the only chance I'll get."

Dr. Chase looked at Percy sadly. "I'm sorry for your fate, hero. You've suffered more hardships than anyone should have to in their entire life. You've faced death and Hell many times and lived to tell the tale."

Percy flinched and looked down, not meeting Dr. Chase's eyes anymore.

Dr. Chase looked at Nico, silently asking for confirmation of Percy's statements. Nico only nodded, his eyes betraying his grief and terror for the future.

Dr. Chase sighed. "Alright, Percy… I give you permission."

Percy snapped up, his mouth slightly open.

Dr. Chase gave him a tired smile. "You're both young, but you both might also be on your doorstep. I give you my blessing."

Percy's face broke into the widest grin possible. "Thank you, sir! Thank you so much!"

Dr. Chase nodded. "But understand, Son of Poseidon, that if you do _anything_ to hurt my daughter, you will face my anger _before_ you face the wrath of the Greek Goddess of War."

Percy gulped and didn't meet Dr. Chase's glare. Nico suppressed a smile.

Percy nodded. "Yes, sir."

Dr. Chase broke his glare into a small smile. "Have you bought the ring?"

Percy visibly relaxed and nodded. "Yeah. I had it forged and crafted by one of Hephaestus' sons earlier today in Thebes."

"May I see it?"

Percy reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He opened it to reveal a ring pure platinum ring with an owl-shaped diamond. The eyes of the owl had emeralds for eyes, and there was a tiny emerald trident in the owl's body. On the side of the ring, an inscription ran around the whole band: _Αναβεθ_ _Χας_, _Annabeth Chase_ in Ancient Greek.

Nico whistled. "Holy Zeus Percy, that must have cost you a fortune."

Percy chuckled. "Dad gave me a lot of money after the Titan War," he admitted.

"How much was it?" Dr. Chase asked, turning up to look Percy in the eye.

Percy smiled. "450 drachmas."

Nico's eyes bulged, and Dr. Chase's mouth dropped open.

"Well, Percy," Dr. Chase finally said. "I wish you luck. I assume you are yet to speak to your godly parents since you came to me so early in the morning?"

Percy's anxiety immediately returned, and he started sweating again. He shook his head.

Dr. Chase chuckled. "Well, I wish you luck talking to the ancient rivals about your love."

"Thanks, I'll need it," Percy muttered. "Let's hope Poseidon and Athena don't turn me into something too horrible when I ask them."

* * *

Ten minutes later, Nico and Percy popped out of a shadow in front of the Empire State Building. Percy was sweating. Nico was grinning and ready to be amused by two more rounds of Percy's embarrassment and anxiety.

They entered and flashed their special Council of Demigods ID's to the watchman. They made sure that no one was with them as they entered the elevator. Nico popped his ID in and pressed the button for the 600th floor. The ten permanent members of the Council of Demigods had been given special identification cards to enter Olympus whenever they wanted.

"Figure out what you're going to say to them?" Nico asked while trying to resist the urge to throw a rock at the speaker playing "Stayin' Alive".

Percy shook his head with a small smirk. "When do I ever have a plan?"

"Yeah because they never work," Nico muttered.

"Hey I'm still alive, aren't I?" Percy retorted.

"And that's the miracle."

Percy glared up at his friend and was about to retort when the elevator door opened to reveal the majesty of Mount Olympus. Percy gulped. _Well, it's now or never._

He masked his fear and anxiety and marched up the stairs. Once in the city, he turned straight towards Poseidon's palace. He figured talking to his dad first would be the better option since he might get advice on how to talk to Lady Athena from his dad.

He and Nico entered Poseidon's Olympian palace to find the god staring at his television dimly.

"Dad?" Percy asked, worried.

Poseidon snapped his gaze up, and his face broke into a smile at his son's presence. "Hello, Percy," the god said warmly. "To what do I owe this honor?"

Nico stood back awkwardly. Technically, as the Son of Hades, he wasn't allowed in to Poseidon's palace…

"Come in, Champion of Athena," Poseidon said to Nico. "Your father and I were never as vengeful as Zeus when it came to our nephews and nieces entering our realms."

Nico hesitated but eventually accepted the god's invitation. "Thank you, Lord Poseidon. I'm sorry for intruding."

"Not at all, my nephew! Please make yourself at home. Any friend of my son is welcome into my strongholds."

"Uh—Thank you, sir."

Poseidon nodded at Nico before turning back to Percy. "So Percy, do you need something from me?"

Percy jammed his hands into his pockets. "Uh, no, Dad," he muttered. "I'm actually here to ask you permission for something."

Poseidon looked at his son with no emotion, just waiting for Percy to continue.

"I, uh, I want to marry Annabeth, Dad, and I wanted your blessing," Percy all but pleaded towards the end of his request.

Poseidon's face fell immediately at this, but the god nodded. "You always had my blessing Percy," Poseidon said in a pained voice. "I would never interfere in my own son's happiness."

Percy looked at father in shock and worry. "Uh… Thanks, Dad, I guess."

Poseidon just nodded and turned to the window on the other side of the room. Nico and Percy noticed the sad and longing look on the god's visage.

"Lord Poseidon," Nico asked in concern. "Is everything alright?"

Poseidon turned to his nephew with a bitter smile. "Alas, no, my nephew, it is not. But as your kind say, _life goes on_."

"Dad…?"

Poseidon wouldn't meet Percy's eyes. The god seemed to be trying hard not to cry. His eyes were watering, and his hands had begun trembling.

"Dad! What's going on?"

Poseidon closed his eyes for a minute and shed a few tears before reopening them. He gave Percy a small smile. "My Son, enjoy your love," he said wistfully. "The Sea does not like to be restrained. The Sea loves and cherishes freely. The Sea always seeks what it shouldn't have. Go. I can tell you still need to ask Athena permission."

Percy looked at his father in confusion, but understanding dawned on Nico's face.

Nico bowed to the god. "My Lord, my Uncle… I'm so sorry."

Poseidon pulled Nico up by the shoulders. "Do not apologize, my nephew." The god gave Nico a warm smile through his tears. "It is my own fault for losing my family to the void. Love is the oldest of all powers, older even than Gaea and Tartarus. Not even gods can resist its control."

Nico met Poseidon's eyes with shock and understanding. "My Lord, have Queen Amphitrite and Prince Triton gone?"

Percy gasped.

Poseidon closed his eyes and nodded. "I rule the seas by myself now," he whispered. "My Queen and my son have been absorbed by the void."

Nico got down onto a one-kneed bow before the Sea King. "I'm sorry, Uncle."

Poseidon shook his head. He turned to Percy. "My son, whatever you do, I want you to promise me that you'll honor your wedding vows. Do what I could not, and perhaps Love will be more merciful in this incarnation."

Percy nodded. "I'm sorry, Dad," he whispered.

Poseidon said nothing. The god just cried.

Percy flinched. "Dad, I know I shouldn't ask you this now… But do have any advice on how I can ask Lady Athena permission?"

Poseidon laughed, a rich, full laugh. "I think you'll find Wisdom a lot more supportive of you than you think, Percy."

Poseidon was smiling at his son's confusion. The gears in Nico's head were working overtime, trying to make sense of what Poseidon was saying.

"But you and Athena hate each other!" Percy exclaimed.

Poseidon shook his head with a small smile. "Percy, the last time Athena and I fought was almost four thousand years ago, back when we were in Greece. It's true that we have argued for over five and a half thousand years, but there has been peace between the Sea and Wisdom for eons now."

Percy gaped at his father. Nico's eyes widened in understanding. Poseidon smiled coyly.

"You'll find that deep down, the Sea and Wisdom are not so different after all, Percy. You know this firsthand, don't you? This is why you, a Son of the Sea, fell in love with Wisdom's Daughter, no?"

Percy just shook his head at his father's comment and blushed.

"Go," Poseidon gave a pained smile to his son and nephew. "Find my niece. She should be in the Arena right now. If I'm correct, she would just beaten Ares in their daily duel and will likely be ignoring his whining as she reads some sort of book."

Percy and Nico exchanged looks of confusion.

Poseidon gave a mischievous smile that was negated by his sorrow and tears. "As is said by the greatest tacticians, _Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer._"

* * *

"He's trying hard to hide his grief at his wife's and son's loss," Nico said softly as they approached the arena.

The arena on Mount Olympus was built exactly like an Ancient Greek chariot stadium, made out of pure marble.

"He's not doing a good job of it," Percy said softly.

Nico shook his head. "I know."

After a minute's silence as they watched Athena deliver the final blow to Ares, Percy asked his friend, "What did Dad mean when he said Wisdom and the Sea aren't that different?"

Nico didn't meet his eyes.

"Percy, Athena and Poseidon have been on the same side for millennia now. When the gods were in Rome, the Romans paired the Twelve Olympians into six pairs, one male and one female."

"What about Bacchus?"

Nico gave him a wry smile. "The Romans respected Vesta a lot more than Bacchus. They took him out of their main pantheon and put Vesta back into the Twelve, but after the gods left Rome, Dionysus returned. Even now, when the gods meet in Roman regalia, Vesta takes her place on the Council, not Bacchus."

"Can this stuff get any more confusing?"

Nico smirked. "Oh, Percy, you've heard nothing. Have Annabeth tell you the true story of Athena's and Poseidon's contest over Athens—the Roman version. You'll get a kick out of it."

Percy snorted.

"Anyway," Nico continued, "the Romans paired the Twelve into six groups of two. And the second most important pair, after Jupiter and Juno was _Neptune and Minerva_. Remember how we said that the Romans tried to ostracize Neptune and Minerva because Poseidon and Athena had sided against them in the Trojan War? You do? Good. So the Romans paired them together. That pairing pretty much continued ever since they left Greece."

"Dad wasn't kidding when he said that the Sea and Wisdom aren't as different as you might think."

Nico laughed but nodded. "Come on, Athena just finished her duel. We should catch her while we still can."

The two approached the goddess in the center of the arena and bowed. Nico got down onto one knee with his head downwards, and Percy took the traditional bow.

"My Lady," they both said together.

Athena's eyes bored into their backs. "Rise, My Champion, and my Cousins. How may I help you today?"

Nico motioned Percy forward. "My Lady, Percy here has something to ask of you."

Athena cocked her eyebrow. "Is that so? And what would that be, Perseus Jackson, Son of Poseidon and Champion of Hera?"

Nico suppressed a smile at Percy's anxiety at coming face to face with the goddess he feared most.

Percy steeled his nerves and looked Lady Athena in the eye.

Nico noticed that the goddess had assumed human form, so she was actually shorter than Percy. But her aura of power seemed to be burning the front of his shirt.

"Lady Athena, I came here because I don't want to wait anymore. I know I'm young. I know I haven't seen the whole world. But we're on the brink of a third war, and I won't be able to ever forgive myself if I don't do this now. Lady Athena, I love Annabeth Chase with my entire being. I ask for your daughter's hand in marriage."

Athena studied him with the perfect poker face. Dimly, Nico realized that both Athena and Reyna had the same poker face, the one that would hide absolutely everything.

"You have it, Perseus Jackson," Athena finally announced. "You proved to me that you would do anything for Annabeth when you willingly fell into Tartarus for her. I give you my blessing. Good luck."

Athena gave an amused smile at Percy's bemusement.

Percy jumped up and whooped. Nico snorted, and Athena smirked.

"Thank you, Lady Athena, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Athena gave a small laugh. "You are perfect for my favorite daughter, Prince to the Sea. Congratulations. Be with your love. Let the reincarnation work through its works."

"See, Percy, I told you everything would work out," Poseidon's voice said behind them.

Percy and Nico turned to see the Sea King at the edge of the arena, standing in full-body bronze Greek armor with his trident in hand.

"Athena, my niece," Poseidon greeted cautiously.

"Uncle Poseidon," Athena said emotionlessly.

Poseidon walked up to them. "Care to spar? I would imagine you would like a more equal opponent than the god of raw warfare."

Athena said nothing. She assumed her form as Britannia. Britannia wore her hoplite helmet, bore her circular shield, donned Minerva's golden armor, and held a trident in her hand.

Percy and Nico turned to their stands to watch the duel.

"You're in for a treat," someone said behind them.

They turned to see Queen Hera sitting on the stand behind them.

"Mother Hera," Percy nodded.

"Welcome to Olympus, my Champion," Hera smiled at Percy. "And welcome, my nephew. It is rare that Britannia and Poseidon spar, but when they do, it truly is a spectacle. Just sit back and enjoy, my nephews."

They turned back to the front.

"Oh, and Percy, you have my blessing as the Goddess of Marriage, too."

Percy's face flushed, but he muttered thanks to his Patron Goddess.

Britannia and Poseidon were circling each other. Poseidon lunged forward, thrust his trident at Britannia's throat. Britannia intercepted with her shield and lunged at Poseidon's undefended midriff. Poseidon blocked the attack with his own shield. Britannia spun on her heel, and Poseidon blocked her trident with his own. The water in the moat surrounding the stage began to respond to the two sea gods' movements. Poseidon attacked again, but Britannia parried the strike with her own spear. Poseidon feinted to Britannia's right flank before attacking her left shoulder. Britannia met his strike with her own weapon and a satisfied smirk.

Nico and Percy watched in amazement as the Poseidon and Athena/Britannia entered this deadly dance. For almost an hour, the two gods sparred, and they didn't seem to tire at all. Every attack, parry, thrust, lunge, and step was in sync, and it was a deadly waltz that the two acted out.

Finally, the two tridents met in a cross.

Poseidon smiled at his niece. "Good match, Lady Britannia."

The two nodded to each other, and Britannia resumed her original form as Athena.

Poseidon smirked before laughing. "You've done well, my niece. Take the victory, for your gift is far superior."

Athena raised her eyebrow. "You haven't said that to me, Uncle, for almost seven thousand years."

Poseidon turned away to gaze into the distance with a sad smile. "I know."

The Sea King vanished in a burst of green light. Athena turned on her heel and walked out.

* * *

Percy and Nico were still stunned by the match they had witnessed.

"That was amazing!" Percy exclaimed.

Nico nodded wordlessly. He had seen Athena in battle before; they all had— at the Battle of Marathon. But watching Poseidon and Athena (or was it Britannia?) spar was truly something else.

On the elevator down, Percy turned to Nico hesitantly. "Nico, about Bianca—"

Nico stiffened but said nothing.

"I… I'm sorry. I couldn't save her last time, but I promise I'm going to protect her with everything I can this time."

Nico said nothing. He merely looked at Percy with sadness. "Percy, I don't blame you for her death. I'm sorry for taking my anger at her out on you."

Percy nodded. "I know."

Nico turned away. "You'll have to excuse me if I never visit your family's house again, Percy. I'm sorry, but the memories of her abandonment are still too painful… and I don't think I want to be mocked by the Moirai anymore than I already am."

"It's okay. I understand."

The two boys stayed in comfortable silence for the rest of the journey down to New York.

"Well at least I did what I had to do," Nico commented causally as they stepped towards the nearest shadow.

Percy turned to him in confusion. "What?"

Nico cracked up. "The Council is planning a surprise birthday party for you up at the Fort. They asked me to keep you occupied today, and I did, even if it was because you needed something done."

Percy smiled and shook his head. "I was beginning to think they'd all forgotten."

It was true. No one had even wished him happy birthday yet, not even Annabeth.

Nico laughed. "Oh I think you'll enjoy what they have planned for you tonight. Just make sure you don't reveal that I told you everything, okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

The two shadow travelled back to the Fort.

* * *

As soon as they popped back inside Fort Olympus, Nico left Percy to his own bearings and went off to the arena.

"Hey," he said to the girl he was looking for.

Reyna turned around from her sparring session to look at him. She gave him a small smile. "Hey. Where were you all day?"

Nico laughed. "I think you'll find out tonight everything."

Reyna raised an eyebrow, but Nico didn't share any more information.

"Want to go out into New York to get some lunch?"

"Nico, you know Annabeth doesn't want any of us going into the city."

"Oh, come on, Reyna! Let loose a bit!"

Reyna just narrowed her eyes at him.

Nico sighed. "Fine, I already asked Annabeth. She said it was fine by her."

"And how do I know you're telling the truth?"

Nico flashed her an irritated look. "I swear by the River Styx that I speak the truth."

Thunder boomed, but Nico still stood standing there.

Reyna rolled her eyes at his theatrics but nodded with a smile. "Alright, where do you have in mind?"

Nico smirked. "I was thinking of the new French restaurant in Manhattan?"

Reyna turned to him in shock. "The one that costs a million dollars?"

"Yup!" Nico grinned cheekily.

"Nico, how're you going to get that sort of money?!"

"Oh, calm down, Reyna. I'm the son of the God of Wealth. I can afford to treat my friend to a nice restaurant for once."

Reyna rolled her eyes but smiled. "Alright, let's go."

Nico took her hand and interlaced their fingers. The two of them walked to the nearest shadow and disappeared into it, only to reappear in Manhattan.

"Nico," a man admonished in front of them. He was wearing a business suit, had black hair, stood tall, had broad shoulders, and had the same eyes as Nico.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"You can't go to a fancy restaurant dressed like that!" His father chided.

"Uh, dad, not to be a spoil sport, but it's not like we have any spare tuxedoes or dresses on us right now."

Hades smirked and flicked his wrist.

Immediately, Nico's was wearing a black suit with a bowtie over a black vest, and Reyna was wearing a black dress.

Nico blushed. Reyna started at the Lord of the Dead in awe. Hades smirked. "Have fun, you two Eternal Virgins."

With a coy smile, Hades vanished into shadow.

Nico snorted. "Yeah, make fun of the two kids who have been so hurt by love that they swore it off forever. _That_ makes sense. _Thanks _Dad."

Reyna laughed. She squeezed Nico's hand. "Don't worry about it. It doesn't matter anyway. Now don't you have a dinner to treat me to, Death Boy?"

Nico grinned at her. "Yes, I believe I do, Praetor Arellano."

The two walked hand in hand into the restaurant.

Nico couldn't help but think how lucky he was for having found a true friend in Reyna. On their trip back across Europe and North America, the two of them had really bonded. The two had opened up to each other like they'd never opened up to others, and they'd bonded over their lost loves and feelings of ostracization. Now, Nico considered Reyna one of his closest friends, and Reyna had confessed to him that she considered him one of her closest confidants as well.

* * *

It was dusk. It was dinnertime.

Annabeth led a blindfolded Percy into the Mess Hall.

"Annabeth," he whined. "Why do I have to be blind?"

"Oh just shut up and cooperate for once, Percy!"

Percy huffed but complied.

Once in the hall, Annabeth removed his blindfold. The Hall was decorated with streamers, confetti, and posters of Percy's greatest achievements.

A huge banner on the wall announced in English, Latin, and Greek: _Happy Seventeenth Birthday, Perseus Jackson!_

Percy's jaw dropped. "Annabeth, did you plan all this?"

Annabeth gave him a smirk. "What can I say? I'm amazing."

Percy wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a kiss. "Yes, yes you are," he muttered against her lips after pulling apart.

Annabeth blushed at having been kissed in front of the entire Fort.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY COUNCILOR JACKSON!" Everyone screamed.

Percy's face broke into a grin.

The other ten (including Ryan and Rachel) Councilors were sitting at their usual table. Their friends were grinning at them.

"Thanks guys!" Percy screamed to everyone. "This is the best birthday anyone can ever ask for."

Cake was cut, congratulations were shared, and merry times were spent.

After dinner finished, the entire Fort retired to the beach, where the Hephaestus and Vulcan descendants had promised fireworks display to celebrate the glories and achievements of the greatest hero of all time.

Right before they all were dismissed from the Mess Hall, though, Percy stood up. He called for attention.

"This has literally been the best birthday I've ever had. I want to thank everyone who made this possible. But most importantly, I want to thank my amazing girlfriend and partner in everything I've ever done."

Percy took Annabeth's hand and took her to the center of the Hall. The entire Hall was watching them in complete silence. Percy turned to face her with a huge grin. He pulled her into a hug before quickly pulling away.

Annabeth's face was flushed at having so many people's attention on her, but she also looked very happy.

Suddenly, Percy dropped to one knee, and Annabeth's jaw dropped.

He pulled out a velvet box from his pocket and opened it on his knee. There were tears in Annabeth's eyes.

Random lights flashed behind them, and Percy grinned as he recognized what was going on. The fireworks hadn't started just yet, but he was about to be remembered by history for one other thing.

"Annabeth Chase," he began, "you and I have known each other for five years. We've fought Titans, giants, monsters, gods, and the Earth itself together. We've destroyed everything between us. Neither gods nor Hell itself could keep us apart. Annabeth Chase, I know I don't say this enough, but I want to say it now: I love you. And if you will give the honor to me, I want to be able to tell you those three words for the rest of our lives, however short or long they may be. We've been together for a year now officially, but in my heart, we've been together ever since we met on the porch of the Big House five years ago. We've lived through and suffered so much. Annabeth, we will be going to war again soon, and I don't want to take the chance that we might not come back into each other's arms. Annabeth Chase, you are my live, my soul mate, my other half. You complete me. Without you, I am an empty husk, and I know that I could live a thousand lifetimes and never deserve you. I know we're young, but I know that I'll never be able to love anyone as much as I love you. Annabeth Chase, will you do me the honor of marrying me and making me the happiest man to ever live?"

Tears were flowing freely down Annabeth's cheeks, and she couldn't see clearly. Percy continued grinning up at her. Annabeth got down onto her own knees, wrapped her arms around Percy's neck and whispered (though she was sure everyone assembled heard her), "YES!"

She pulled him into a deep kiss as the entire Mess Hall erupted into applause and cheering.

Just as they pulled apart, they turned up to see that the fireworks had started. Annabeth turned to see Leo with a remote in his hand. He was grinning at her. He'd detonated the fireworks just as they'd pulled apart.

The first set of fireworks were an animated set of her and Percy fighting in the Battle of Manhattan. The fireworks ended with an image of the two of them kissing.

Percy laughed, and Annabeth joined him despite the fact that both of their faces were the colors of ripe tomatoes.

Annabeth finally noticed the results of the strange lights she had noticed before Percy had begun. All of the sitting gods on Council of Olympus had come to watch. Her face flushed again when she realized that her mother had witnessed all of that.

Annabeth looked at her mother, but Athena was grinning at her daughter, even cheering along with the rest of the Fort. Poseidon was laughing but was giving his son and Annabeth a thumbs-up. The two rivals seemed to be among their biggest fans.

Zeus and Hades were watching the scene with amusement and pride in their eyes. Aphrodite looked like she was going to die from a "feels attack". Hera was smiling warmly at her Champion and his love. Persephone, Artemis, Hestia, and Demeter were smiling at the young couple still in each other's arms in the center of the Mess Hall.

Ares and Dionysus looked bored, but Annabeth decided not to be offended by the two childish gods. Apollo and Hermes were among the loudest cheerers, and Hephaestus just smiled at her warmly.

Out of the corner of her eye, Annabeth saw Calypso smile warmly at her.

Eventually, Zeus clapped his hands and called for calm.

"Congratulations to the Heroes and Saviors of Olympus, Councilor Perseus Jackson, Son of Poseidon and Champion of Hera, and Lady Marshall Annabeth Chase, Ruler of all Greco-Roman Demigods and the Daughter of Athena," the King of Kings announced. "Their wedding shall be held on Olympus. Welcome!"

With that, the gods flashed out, and Percy and Annabeth found themselves the focus of another fireworks show and more clapping and cheering.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I really had fun with this chapter. Again, I'm sorry it took so long to get out, but hopefully the length and content made up for it! :) I should be able to return to my original update schedule starting now.

I was actually going to end this chapter on a much more depressing and sinister note with a dream sequence about the past, but I figured that I should let Percy and Annabeth enjoy their lives for at least a few minutes. So yeah, be prepared for some harsh things to be revealed next chapter! :D

Also, I want to reinforce that in my fic, Nico and Reyna _only_ have a bromance, _no_ romance. They both are are sworn to be eternal virgins, and I intend to keep it that way. Just want to clarify that scene. I just wanted to write a scene where the two of them would just hang out for a bit without having the fate of the world on their shoulders. That's all!

Thank you so much for reading, and please do leave a review letting me know of your thoughts! :)

Also, I am still looking for a beta reader for this story, so if you're interested, please let me know!

**Review Replies**:

Lupita: (_Last Wish_) I'm glad you liked this one shot! :D Thanks so much! And yeah, I really think Hades would have warmed up to Nico eventually; at least that's what it seemed like at the end of _The Last Olympian_. Also, don't worry, I'm not abandoning _Fort Olympus_ anytime soon! :D

0oDemigod: (Chapter 1) Thank you! :) I'm glad you liked my fic!

Lupita: (Chapter 9) Hahahaha I think you know what Percy and his parents were planning after reading today's chapter, right? XP And yeah, Bianca's reincarnation. Don't worry, I'm going to come back to the fact that Bianca is reincarnated as Percy's younger sister; I had that happen for a reason. Hehehehe. I'm cruel. XP And yup, Poseidon did not keep his vows that he took at his wedding... So his family has gone on. :/ As for who's stolen his heart... You will just have to wait and see. ;D But I do want to say that Poseidon isn't going to get a happy ending in my fic.

Lord of the Skies: (Chapter 9) Haha I've actually seen one fic where Percy reattemps dipping in the River Styx, but no, I wouldn't have done that. I'm not interested in making Percy invincible all over again. he's been there and done that already. I'm going to be doing other things to make his life interesting, though. ;D And thanks! :D

LovePercyJackson: (Chapter 9) Thank you! :D And don't worry, I intend to finish this story! :D

MorriganGoddessofCrows: (Chapter 9) Thank you so much! :) I really appreciate it! And Yup, I will keep writing this! :D

Donna: (Chapter 9) Thank you! :)

ItsAlexO: (Chapter 9) Thank you for your review! I'm looking forward to incorporating more and more of the older and more original myths into this story, and I'm glad you're appreciating it! :) Now for your questions... Not everyone has a Patron god(ess); right now, only Jason, Percy, and Nico have Patrons. However, Nico is the Patron of Fort Olympus. Hazel still has control over the Mist, but I'm not really going to be playing around much with this power of hers. And I'm not sure why people ignore Hecate's/Trivia's children, but I suspect that it might be due to the fact that she's a virgin goddess. Frank does still have his firewood, but as you can see, right now Frank isn't a major character in my fic. He is still important, and I will explore him more latre on, but it will take a while. As for the ancient prophecy, you will simply have to wait and see! :3 In Riordan's mythology, Aphrodite is the daughter of Ouranos; she was born when Kronos dropped Ouranos' essence into the sea. The sea then churned and Aphrodite was born. The Primordials will not be playing a major part in my fic. I'm saying that Athena was the only one who evolved into a British form because she was the only one honored by the British peoples. I'm going to be exploring the Paris/London thing in the next few chapters. Thanks again for your review! :)


	11. Chapter 11: Plans

**Author's Note**: Sorry this took so long to update! I had intended to get this out much quicker since I'm on Winter Break with no academic obligations, but I've strangely found myself spending a lot of time with my family. However, I do hope that the length of this chapter makes up for the time it took for me to update! This is by far the longest chapter at 10,190 words! I hope you guys like it! :D

I want to mention here, though, that I do not arbitrarily use Greek or Roman names. I use either one or the other very specifically, so it is very important. I just thought I would point that out!

Also, I really hope you guys enjoyed the proposal scene last chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it! :) It didn't quite turn out how I had imagined it in my head, but I kind of just let it flow from what I believed. I debated many different proposals, most of them leaving Percy embarrassed, but I finally just picked the one where it just kind of ended happily. XD I must admit that I personally liked the proposal scene I wrote in _Her Happy Ending_ more than the one that happened in this fic, but I thought it was still okay. I hope you guys did enjoy it, though!

_Fort Olympus _is now the longest project I have _ever_ undertaken at 87,222 words already (an average of 7,929 words per chapter)! And I am not done, yet, so I think it will easily reach 200,000 words before I am done. I want to take this chance to thank everyone who as supported me and encouraged me to continue writing this fic! I want to thank all my reviews, my favorite-ers, and all my followers! Thank you all so much!

As always, please read and review! :)

**Disclaimer: **_Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ and _The Heroes of Olympians_ and all things related are property of Rick Riordan and Disney Hyperion. I am not making any profit off of this work in any way, shape, or form.

Fort Olympus

* * *

**Chapter 11: Plans**

* * *

Nico rarely slept in. The day following Percy's extravagant proposal, he found himself awake and ready at dawn. He walked up to the Temple Hill, formerly known as Half-Blood Hill, and leaned against Thalia's tree.

"What are you thinking about, my son?"

Pluto had materialized right in front of Nico, in an elegant black tuxedo.

Nico gave a curt nod. "Father."

Pluto gazed at his son with soft eyes and sadness in his visage. "You are ashamed to see me."

Nico didn't respond for a minute. "I'm not ashamed, Dad," he finally admitted, "I just want… I just want to be accepted."

Pluto smiled at his son. "I'm sorry. I blame myself for your pain and feelings of ostracization."

Nico sighed bitterly. "No, Dad. As much as I want to blame my parentage, at the end of the day, it's my own fault. I chose this path of solitude."

Pluto raised his eyebrow. "But are you really living a life of solitude? Why are you still at Fort Olympus if you want to be alone? Why did you spend the whole day yesterday helping Percy Jackson if you want to be alone? Why did you agree to travel to Britain and retrieve the Elgin Marbles if you want to be alone?"

Nico didn't respond. He just gave his father an uncertain look.

"Nico, you've fooled yourself into thinking you're something you're not. You need to get past your insecurities and dig deep within yourself to understand who and what you truly are."

"Dad, my brothers are Mussolini, Hitler, and Hideki Tojo… I don't exactly have a good reason to be accepted."

Pluto gave him a sad smile. "Of the three men you listed, only Hitler was my son—as Pluto. The other two are children of other gods."

Nico narrowed his eyes. "World War II was your children against the children of Zeus and Poseidon."

Pluto shook his head. "That is what was told to you kids to make it easy to understand because the European Civil Wars are not something we gods like to remember… But the truth, my son… The truth is complicated."

Nico's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying?"

Pluto gave him a wan smile. "You'll understand soon, Nico. Just know that no matter what you might think or believe, I'm proud of you. I'm more proud of you than you can ever know."

Pluto pulled Nico towards him and embraced his son.

Nico stood there in shock for a second before returning the embrace. Never once had his father shown any affection, not even verbal let alone physical, to him before.

Pluto pulled back. "Nico, just remember that no matter what, I love you. I've always been watching over you. I've given you all your powers, and you'll soon be learning even more about your strengths and weaknesses. I am always with you, my son, even when it seems like I'm ignoring you. But remember this."

With one last smile to his Prince, Pluto vanished, leaving Nico wondering if what he had just witnessed was reality or a dream.

"It is real life," a female voice said behind him.

He turned to see a grey-eyed woman, donned in her golden toga with a tiara on her head and an owl on her shoulder. Minerva was watching him with no visible expression.

He bowed. "My Lady."

Minerva just watched him for a minute. "Your father loves you more than you'll ever know, My Champion."

Nico couldn't meet Minerva's eyes. "I'm the Son of Hades," he finally said, "I'm not meant to be a hero. I'm meant to be the enemy. I don't belong here at Fort Olympus."

"Ah, but since when did our parentage determine who we are, Nico?" Minerva asked softly.

When Nico wouldn't look up, she put her hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. Reluctantly, he looked up at his Patron Goddess.

"Nico, we can't help our parentage, but we _can_ help what we choose to do with our lives. Remember this: It is not our birth that determines who we are; it is what we do in our lifetime that defines who we are."

"What do you mean?"

Minerva gave him a small smirk. "Jason Grace was born a Son of Jupiter, solely as a Son of Jupiter, but he ended up being too Greek to command a Roman legion. His adventures, actions, and choices in his life undid his Roman instincts, despite being the Son of the King of Roman gods. Your parentage only means as much as you want it to mean, Nico. You say that you're not meant to be a hero, but you are amongst the greatest heroes alive right now. Your loyalty to Olympus is almost unrivaled… Maybe at the end of the day… what only matters is what you _do_, and not what you're _meant_ to do."

"I can't change what I was born as, My Lady."

"But you _can_ change who you are. You might think you're not supposed to be a hero, Nico, but you are the one chosen by the Council of Gods to become the Patron of all Heroes. Maybe you don't believe you're a hero, but _we_ do. You stuck by our children's side and provided them all the aid that we never could. You're a greater hero than any of us ever were."

Nico looked down, trying to hide the tears that were falling from his eyes.

"You have sacrificed a great deal to become the person you are now," Minerva said softly, her hands on both of his shoulders, "you have faced great pain and have lost everything near and dear to you… But through all the reasons you had to betray Olympus, you stayed with us, you fought with and for us. We can never repay you. The other gods might disagree…" Minerva put one hand under his chin and pushed his head up so that their eyes met, "but to me, you're the greatest hero. No matter the treachery Olympus has done against you, you always stayed with us. Thank you."

Nico closed his eyes to try to stem the flow of tears. It didn't work. Minerva kissed his forehead for a fraction of a second, causing him to snap his eyes open, but she was already gone—vanished into thin air.

Nico collapsed onto the ground and sobbed freely as Aurora passed over the valley and made way for Apollo to come through.

Through his pain and tears, he felt a shadow drifting over him. Someone took his face into their warm, comfortable hands. For just one second, Nico let himself pretend that it was his sister. She used to do this all those years ago, too, back before she abandoned him. She used to caress his cheeks and wipe away his tears, and she used to kiss his forehead and tell him everything would be okay in the end. But that was all before she abandoned him to join the Hunters—before she abandoned and left him to grow up on his own forever.

He felt a new round of sobs wrack his body at the memories of the pain and bitterness that came with thinking about Bianca's abandonment.

Dimly, he felt a pair of warm lips on his forehead—just like Bianca used to do. He felt the person wrap their arms around him with their head on his chest, right where his heart should have been. He decided to just stand like that for a minute and pretend that it was his sister after all, and pretend that she hadn't abandoned him for an eternal girls club and then, eventually, death. He wrapped his arms around the person who was embracing him.

Long hair tickled his arms as he returned the embrace.

Nico finally opened his eyes and saw the sole true Roman praetor holding him. He looked down at Reyna, wondering how she had found him, but he quickly pushed the thought away. He decided to enjoy the physical warmth and affection for a little while, even if he knew that it was temporary and would eventually face away from his life. He missed having a sister embrace him after a breakdown, and it was nice to have that sort of comfort again.

Reyna didn't say anything; she just hugged him tightly. And Nico was grateful for the lack of words. She seemed the only one who truly understood the pain he had felt at Bianca's abandonment, for she had felt it as well when Hylla had abandoned her to join the Amazons.

"You okay?" She asked finally, black eyes meeting black.

Nico slowly nodded, not trusting his voice.

Reyna gave him a small smile and squeezed him against her just a little tighter, just to show that she was there for him. "You can tell me anything, you know?"

Nico looked at her gratefully. "I know. Thanks, Reyna. You've no idea how much this means to me."

Reyna hushed him. "You listened to me through all the complaining I did back across Europe, Nico. It's the least I can do."

Nico just tightened his embrace around her. "Thank you."

After another minute, he asked, "Why do you stay my friend, Reyna?"

Reyna looked up at him in surprise. "You're a great guy, Nico," she said finally. "And everyone deserves a friend. No one deserves to be alone."

Nico gave her a sad smile. He knew what she was referring to: Her own abandonment by all her fellow praetors, especially Jason Grace.

"I'm never leaving my friends," Nico said defiantly. "I'm never leaving you."

Reyna smiled at him sadly and shook her head. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Nico. I don't want you to disappear on me, too."

Nico kissed her forehead. "I'm never going to disappear. I'll always be with you."

Reyna shook her head before resting on his heart again, but she didn't say anything.

The two lost friends just stayed together for a little longer, just enjoying each other's embrace and wordlessly sharing all the pain that they'd had to individually endure for all this time beforehand. They had started to open up a lot to each other on their way back from Greece with the Athena Parthenos, but now, they were basically each other's lifeline to the mortal world. The two eternal virgins complemented each other's strengths and weaknesses.

* * *

"Alright," Nico announced tonelessly. "You'll each have exactly two minutes, and I'm only pulling up two legions. Understood?"

The whole of Fort Olympus and Thebes had gathered in the Coliseum (newly built to accommodate up to 120,000 spectators) in the city right before the elections would take place. It had occurred under Annabeth's command. She had wanted to show the Romans which of the three existing praetors were truly Roman before the legionnaires were to elect new ones. Leo had even commissioned his siblings to build a satellite device to broadcast the event to the three divisions in the external strongholds in Nashville, San Francisco, and Sonoma Valley.

Nico quickly explained the situation to everyone. "At the behest of our Lady Marshall, Annabeth Chase, before the elections that will be held today, we are here to determine which of the three existing praetors are actually true Roman officers. To do so, I will be summoning the dead legions of Rome with the scepter of Emperor Diocletian. Only a Child of the Underworld may summon the dead legions, and only a _true_ officer of Rome may command them. In the House of Hades in Epirus, your former praetor, Jason Grace, was unable to command the Roman legions due to his loyalties changing. A reminder to those who do not already know: To be a true praetor of Rome, one must sacrifice everything for the greater good. This is not a Greek tradition, for the Greeks value the individual more than the whole, something very different than Rome."

Hazel watched her brother handle the situation from the special Council positions in the stands. On the stage of the Coliseum, Nico, Reyna, Percy, and Frank stood and awaited their chances to prove their true loyalties. The other Councilors were sitting with her. All of the Councilors were wearing their traditional clothing, Greek chitons and Roman togas. Only Percy, Reyna, and Frank were wearing their purple praetor clothing, and Nico was wearing his black toga to symbolize him as the Ambassador of Pluto.

Hazel considered the situation around her. Despite the protests of the other Councilors, Annabeth had insisted that they needed to hold elections. She believed that it was unfair for anyone to rule without the consent of the governed—even if they had the support of the gods. It was a very Athenian idea, and Annabeth's rule as the Marshal of Fort Olympus had gone unchallenged. Hazel turned to the situation unfolding before her with grim satisfaction.

Nico stomped the ground with his right foot, creating a fissure. He then raised the scepter of Diocletian in his left hand. Immediately, a legion of about 500 undead ancient Roman soldiers rose from the fissure.

Hazel wondered how exactly Roman soldiers could be found in the United States, but she quickly pushed that thought away, thinking that Nico was using some of his powers as the Prince of the Underworld to make the impossible possible. She watched with narrowed eyes as Nico motioned the first praetor to test his loyalty to the legacy of Rome step forward.

At Nico's gesture to step forward, Percy moved to stand in front of the legion. Everyone watched with bated breath as the leader of both Greek and Roman demigods stepped up to his mantle.

Hazel watched Percy with a thin smile gracing her figures. She had heard what happened in the House of Hades. If Jason, who was born a Son of Jupiter, could not command the dead legions of Rome, there was no way that Percy, who was born a Son of Poseidon, could. The Twelfth Legion had raised Percy on a shield to praetorship due to his admirable leadership and courage, not because of his Roman-ness. She watched Percy should orders in Latin and English, but it was all to no avail. the dead legions simply ignored him and milled around as though they were lost.

Just as Nico had promised, each praetor was given exactly two minutes. When Percy's time was up, Nico ordered him back. Percy complied without protest; the results had ended up just as they had all expected. Percy was too Greek to rule the dead legions of Rome. Hazel rolled her eyes at the formality. She understood Annabeth's reasoning for having the praetors test their controls, but she failed to see why every Greco-Roman demigod had to attend this formality. Perhaps it was to reign as witness to the results, but it seemed a bit extravagant for the situation.

After Nico had forced the dead to return and summoned a new legion, he summoned Frank forward.

Hazel leaned forward in interest. She had missed watching Frank rule the legacy of Rome under the ruins of Epirus, so she was ready to watch her boyfriend carry an empire on his back. She was also ready to see if the stories about his commanding presence were true.

Frank stepped up to the front of the legion with confidence and a steely glint in his eye.

"Legion," he barked, "form ranks!"

Hazel watched the legion with interest, and she saw her friends watching the unfolding scene just as intently. After a second of waiting, the legion did nothing. The undead warriors just kept wandering around with no aim or reason. Hazel was confused. Under Epirus, Frank was Roman enough to lead the dead… and that was not more than a month ago.

"Try again?" Nico suggested to his friend.

Hazel saw that even Nico was confused. Nico had watched Frank lead an army to victory in the House of Hades, so this must have been strange to watch that verysame army ignore Frank a mere month later.

"Legion, form ranks!" Frank shouted in Latin this time.

The Coliseum was absolutely silent, watching in shock and horror as the undead soldiers did not heed Frank's commands. Hazel watched with her jaw agape and dismay splayed across her features.

Nico grimaced. "Your two minutes are up, Praetor Zhang. I'm sorry." Nico sounded genuinely apologetic at Frank's outrage and embarrassment.

Frank was more surprised than angry, though. Hazel could see it in her boyfriend's expression. Hazel thought back to their journeys together. Just a mere month ago, Frank had been Roman enough to lead the dead legions of Rome to victory in battle. But now, the dead legions treated him as though he were nothing. When Frank took his seat beside her in dejection, she squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek to offer comfort.

"It's okay," she muttered into his ear.

Frank dimly nodded, and the two of them turned to watch as Reyna stepped to the head of the legion. Reyna held her head high. She was dressed in her golden armor under her purple toga and cloak. Aurum and Argentum heeled on either side of her. Her face was an emotionless mask. Her eyes were as black as the night and as deadly as a lion. Her hair was down in its usual braid over her shoulder. She looked like she was ready to destroy anything in her path.

Even after having been under Reyna's rule for roughly a year, Hazel was afraid of her former boss, even though they were technically equals now. Reyna commanded a presence and attention of everyone in her presence. She had all of the strength and tactical knowledge of the best generals and admirals. When she looked at someone, the other person cowered and fled. When she gave an order, it would never be disobeyed. When she demanded something, it would be done. Reyna was, in every sense of the phrase, a true Warrior Queen. Hazel understood the look on Reyna's face right now. She had seen the exact same look on Annabeth's face for the past two and a half weeks.

"Legion," Reyna said calmly, betraying absolutely no emotion, "form ranks."

Immediately, the undead warriors formed into a rectangular formation.

"Archers, ignite," Reyna ordered.

The archers immediately responded

Next to her, Hazel felt Frank tremble. She turned to her boyfriend to see a mix of dismay and fear in his eyes. Frank had changed a lot, but he still feared Reyna.

Out of all the leaders of New Rome, Reyna had had the most experience. Hazel had heard how Reyna was elected praetor over a year and a half ago. She had been raised on a shield in a battle against the Titans' armies when Camp Jupiter was attacked.

Eventually, right before the Romans attacked Mount Tamalpais, they had elected Jason to the same mantle, but by the time of his election, Reyna had been leading for several months. Reyna was used to leadership.

Reyna commanded the legion before them as though she had done it many times—which, of course, she had. Reyna's every command was followed.

"Why do they follow her but not Frank?" Jason muttered next to her.

Hazel heard Piper sigh. Hazel and all of the other Councilors in the box turned to Piper. Piper watched Reyna order the legion to march in various formations and do many different drills with something akin to pity and sadness in her gaze.

Piper turned to her friends with a sad smile. "To be a true officer of Rome, one must sacrifice _everything_ for the greater good, right?"

"Yes," Annabeth answered Piper's question for all of them.

Piper looked at Annabeth pointedly, and Annabeth's eyes widened in understanding and surprise.

"Reyna has always worked for the men and women under her command," Piper said softly, "but more importantly, she has given everything she has to them. She has sworn her entire life to them. She has taken a vow of eternal chastity so that she can always be focused on the men and women under her command. She traveled across the ancient lands to bring peace and happiness to her people. She fought whole armies of monsters to keep her people together. She put her own reputation on the line by arresting Octavian in the hope that her people would gain peaces without him."

Piper coughed back a sob. "She willingly gave up on the one person she loved to protect her people. She has given everything she is—for the greater good. She always has been and always will be a _true_ Roman officer."

Jason flinched and turned away from both his girlfriend and his former colleague.

Hazel watched as a single tear found its way down Annabeth's cheek. Annabeth was watching her fellow Princess of War in sadness.

"Everything Reyna has ever done," Jason said quietly, "has been to help the legion and her people. She always stayed loyal to them, even when it seemed that there was no point or there was no reason to stay with them."

Reyna continued to order the legion to do all the drills she had taught the Twelfth Legion Fulminata and the citizens of Fort Olympus.

Frank squeezed Hazel's hand. Hazel turned to him with tears in her own eyes. Frank was looking a bit misty-eyed, too.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to give up everything like Reyna did," Frank said softly.

Hazel kissed him, grateful for his loyalty and love for her.

"I don't think _any_ of us will ever be able to give up everything Reyna has for the men and women under her command," Thalia said softly.

She was watching her two quest-mates on the stage with admiration and also grief. But most of all, she was watching Reyna with a newfound respect for all the personal sacrifices Reyna had made for the men and women under her command. Reyna was truly a soul of pure honor and loyalty when everything was said and done.

Eventually, Nico banished the dead legions, and the citizens of Fort Olympus were dismissed.

"The elections will be open on all of your iPads in exactly two hours," Annabeth announced before the demigods were dismissed to their regular duties. "You will be required to log in with your biometrics and will only be able to vote once. For Greeks, you will be voting on your five non-permanent Councilors as well as the overall Marshall of Fort Olympus. The voted Greek Councilors will be two female and three male. The Romans will be electing their two praetors, voting for their five non-permanent Councilors, and any banishments from the Twelfth Legion. The voted Roman Councilors will be three female and two male. I hope the displays here have been in good fortune and will aid in your final selections."

The other eight Councilors walked down to where Nico and Reyna stood, talking in hushed tones. They both seemed a bit distraught.

Every member of Fort Olympus was assigned an iPad. The iPads had been sent from Lord Hephaestus' workshops, specially designed to work without attracting any monstrous attention. To log in, one had to use special biometric passwords, and only one person could use one specific iPad.

"Wow, Reyna," Leo breathed. "That was… something else."

Reyna turned to the fire wielder with no emotion. "Thank you, Leo."

"Are you okay?" Annabeth asked Reyna in concern.

Reyna nodded. "I'm fine, Lady Marshall. Now if you would all excuse me, Nico and I have some matters to attend to. If our attention is needed, please ping us on our iPads, and we will find you."

With that, Reyna took Nico's hand, and the two vanished into their own shadows.

"Are they okay?" Thalia asked Annabeth with worry creeping into her brow.

Annabeth nodded with a small smile. "They'll be fine."

Annabeth turned to Jason, and her expression hardened. "But perhaps your brother might want to explain himself fully and atone for his past infractions against Rome."

Piper dropped Jason's hand and nodded. "You've put it off long enough, Jason," Piper said coldly with her arms crossed. "Go apologize. Now."

Jason paled and shook her head.

Piper glared at him. Everyone else watched the exchange between the two lovers with amusement and trepidation.

Jason finally turned his head down. "Fine," he muttered.

Piper continued glaring at him, but there was an inkling of softness in her eyes now. "It's the least you can do after all you did to hurt her, whether it was intentionally or not."

Jason looked at his girlfriend in confusion. "Aren't you supposed to hate her?"

Piper threw her head back and laughed. "Trust me, if Reyna took you back _now_, she would be extremely desperate. And for _some __**odd**__ reason_, she doesn't strike me as someone who ever gets desperate. Also, there's the small issue of her vow of eternal chastity."

Jason flushed. Piper smacked the back of his head. "Go apologize to her. Now."

With that, Piper stormed out of the Coliseum. Thalia gave her brother a small smirk before following. The others gave mixed looks of sadness, empathy, and pity to Jason before leaving him standing by himself.

Releasing a dejected sigh, Jason walked off to find Reyna and Nico, realizing that this was going to be a long day.

* * *

Jason found Nico and Reyna in the field used for war games. A phalanx of undead Greeks and a legion of undead Romans were having a mock battle with Nico and Reyna calling each side's respective commands. Jason took a minute to just marvel at what he was watching. As a tactician, he had always wondered what the epic battles of the old Greco-Romans wars might have been like, and he was now watching one play out right in front of him.

In his history lessons at Camp Jupiter, he had learned how the Roman legions had overpowered and defeated the better-trained Greek phalanxes. A Roman legion was small and had thus had more maneuverability. The Roman legion was also able to break up into different units and attack from many sides, something that the Greek phalanx was unable to do with its sheer mass. With this superior agility, the Roman legions had been able to defeat the Greek hoplites, who had superior and much better training than the Roman legionnaires.

Jason watched the mini-battle unfolding before him. He had known for a long time that Reyna was a great tactician, but he had never seen Nico's true military genius in action until now. Sure, they had all heard Minerva's praise and seen him give some amazing orders in the battle against Gaea's forces at both Marathon and Fort Olympus a few weeks ago, but those seemed minor skirmishes compared to what he was watching now.

Reyna's legionnaires were trying to surround Nico's phalanx—a classic Roman tactic, something that had been used to defeat the Greek hoplite armies for centuries. But Nico's tactical abilities were greater than even the best of Ancient Greek generals. Nico ordered his phalanx to form into a circle with the shields and spears pointing outwards. This way, every time the legion's units tried to surround the phalanx, the legion was defeated and run through.

Jason watched in small wonder as Reyna called off the legion form the offensive, back into its base rectangular formation. Nico ordered the phalanx into its normal formation, and the phalanx attacked with its spears down in the front and up in the back. The phalanx and legion met in the middle, and the pila and dories (Greek/Spartan spears) met. This attack ended in a stalemate. Nico called off the phalanx, and he ordered the hoplites to drop their spears and draw swords. The phalanx broke into two distinct formations.

Reyna ordered her legion to break up into six units and advance with pila, three attacking the phalanx's left formation and three attacking the phalanx's right formation. But Nico had anticipated this attack.

At Nico's command, each of the phalanx's two formations broke up into three triangular groups, for a total of six. Each of these six groups leveled their shields and advanced to meet the pila of the legion's unit they were assigned to. The legion had more maneuverability, but in close quarters, the Greeks' superior training took over and overpowered the Romans' ease of movement. The stronger Greek shields destroyed the pila, and the Greeks' swords quickly laid waste to the legion. Effectively, Nico had turned the Romans' greatest strength into their greatest weakness.

Jason watched in amazement as the mini-battle ended, and Nico ordered the dead to return to the Underworld. He couldn't help but marvel at Nico's tactical capabilities: Minerva hadn't been lying. Jason had never seen _anyone_ out maneuver Reyna, except maybe Annabeth, but Nico had managed to do so. He developed even more respect for the Son of Hades.

Jason shook himself out of his reverie and forced his thoughts back to the matter at hand and the reason he had come here. He knew that he couldn't escape Piper's orders—not this time.

Reyna and Nico congratulated each other on a good match. Jason quietly approached them as they weren't looking towards him.

"That was amazing," Jason muttered.

Nico and Reyna gave him askance glances. Nico nodded at the Sky Prince. Reyna merely acknowledged him with a raise of her eyebrows.

Nico cleared his throat. "Can we help you, Jason?"

Jason flinched at the formality in Nico's voice. He knew that they had all gotten relatively close, but there was obviously still a bit of weariness in Nico's demeanor towards him. "I—actually I'm here to talk to Reyna. Mind if I steal her for a while?"

Nico raised his eyebrow and turned to Reyna. Jason watched with bated breath for Reyna's reaction. Reyna studied Jason's expression but gave a slight nod.

"Very well," Nico said. "I have a meeting with Percy and Annabeth, anyway. Have fun, guys."

With that, Nico walked off.

Jason turned to Reyna with his heart beating fast in his chest. Sure, he and Reyna had talked since coming back from Olympus after they were rewarded, but they had carefully avoided the one topic that he was going to bring up today.

"Is there anything you'd like, Jason?"

Jason tried to discern Reyna's expression, but he had never been good at doing so. And he realized that he wouldn't be learning how to do so anytime soon. Reyna had a perfect mask of indifference and apathy. She might have been planning to overthrow a government or just wondering what was for dinner, but she betrayed absolutely nothing in her mind.

"Uh, want to catch some lunch?" He asked awkwardly after a minute of silence.

Reyna studied him, and it seemed like her black eyes were piercing into his soul, reading his every memory and thought. Jason fought the urge to flinch and cower before her gaze. He met her eyes.

She took her time in formulating a response. "I'm not hungry right now. How about we go for a walk on the beach instead?"

Jason nodded dumbly. "Yeah, sure."

They set off towards the docks in silence. Jason wanted to broach the topic, but he had no idea how to do so. He had been hoping that he would never have to confront Reyna about whatever they might have had in a different reality but did not, but Piper had taken that choice away from him today.

Reyna turned to him once they were on the sands near the docks with her arms crossed and a blank expression. "While I'm sure you would quite enjoy spending time with your former colleague, Councilor Grace, I highly doubt that is your sole reason for seeking my companionship today. Might I ask to what I owe this honor to?"

Jason flinched and looked down at his shoes at Reyna's cold words. He'd heard that tone and vocabulary before: It was the same way she used when dealt with the Senate and other annoying political work that she had no way of getting around.

Jason finally looked up at her to meet her eyes and saw that she was watching him impassively. She raised her eyebrow.

"I wanted to talk to you about… what happened before I left Camp Jupiter."

Immediately, Jason could sense her mental shields and wards activating.

"And what exactly happened?"

Jason just looked at her sadly. She raised her eyebrow. He realized that she wasn't going to make this easy for him.

"I guess nothing happened," he said softly.

She cocked her head to one side. "Jason, I know you want something from me. You might as well get on with it. I have things to do and bags to pack. We're leaving for Europe tonight. We need to make this quick."

Jason almost forgot that they were all leaving for Europe tomorrow. He breathed out a sigh and steeled his nerves.

"I'm sorry for leading you on," he finally blurted out. He watched her reaction closely.

As usual, Reyna had the perfect poker face. Her emotions were unreadable, and her expression was as blank as a tabla rasa—a white slate.

She studied him before nodding. "I see. Thank you for your apology. You're forgiven. Is there anything else I can do for you on this fine day?"

Jason tried to control the grief threatening to engulf him at her shutting him out. She had been one of his closest and most reliable friends back at Camp Jupiter. She held no particularly high opinion or expectation of him just because he was the Son of Jupiter. In her eyes, birth meant nothing unless one could live up to it. She had been elected to praetorship before he was for her brilliant leadership skills and fantastical tactics. The legion had always followed her as their senior praetor, more than they ever had him.

In more ways than one, she intimidated even him.

"I just… I'm sorry for everything, Reyna. It was wrong of me to lead you to believe that we had a future together when I wasn't ever sure of my feelings for you. I shouldn't have led you on like that. I'm sorry. I know there's nothing I can do to change the past, but… I didn't want to live my life knowing that I was the reason for your choice to take this vow against love for eternity."

Reyna studied him for a second before turning to looked out towards the sea. Jason still couldn't read her emotions or thoughts. As a leader, he had learned early on how to read people's emotions like an open book, but Reyna had always been a mystery to him. She answered to no one but herself, and she never let herself be controlled or led by anyone else. She truly was an enigma.

Finally, she spoke, but she still faced the sea despite addressing him. "Do you remember when we were sent to Charleston, Jason? The first time, I mean—to retrieve the imperial gold weapons in Fort Sumter."

Jason turned a look of confusion to her, but she still avoided his gaze. "Uh, yeah."

Reyna took her time answering, and Jason felt his palms sweating in anxiety. He knew that she had met Venus there, but she had never told him what exactly had transpired. "I talked to Lady Venus there. She had chosen to only talk to females; why, I know not. But she had warned me then, almost a year before you were taken away to Camp Half-Blood, to give up all hopes I might have upon you."

"But—"

"Please," Reyna cut him off. "Just let me finish. Wait until I'm done before you speak."

Jason nodded in dejection.

"We had known each other for, more or less, two and a half years by that time. I was a centurion in the second cohort, and you were a centurion of the fifth. We were often sent out on quests together by Marcus and Lucy."

Jason looked at her cautiously. All she said was true. Marcus, a Son of Mercury, and Lucy, a Daughter of Ceres, the praetors before them, had often paired Jason and Reyna together for missions, claiming that they worked well together.

"At first," Reyna continued, "I had no particular love for you. I saw you as brash, somewhat insolent, and a bit stupid at some times. But you were a strong leader and a commanding presence. We did many missions together for the legion. Lucy retired a few months after we came back from Fort Sumter, and the legion elected me to the praetorship. I don't know when I developed me… feelings for you, but by the time we had gone to Fort Sumter, they were there. But I had always put my duty to those underneath me before any personal wants or gains. It is in my blood. My mother, Bellona, is the goddess of protecting the homeland, and her Greek counterpart Enyo is the goddess of battle sacrifice. It is who I am and what I was born to do. When I met Venus, she reminded me of my birth and my duties. She warned me that my biggest sacrifice was yet to come, and that it would deal with my feelings for you."

Reyna gave a bitter laugh before continuing, which shocked Jason. "Venus even warned me that she was planning her favorite daughter's love story with you. I let go of any hopes that we might have a true future together in Charleston that night, Jason. Sure, I had some small hopes when you were taken away by Queen Juno, and I was bitter when the _Argo II_ came to New Rome where you showed up with a new girlfriend. But I knew that our strings of fate weren't tied together. Marcus retired after Lucy had, but the two of them had an insurmountable love between them. I don't know if you know this, but they married before you came back to us. After meeting Venus, I knew that I would never have that sort of relationship with my fellow praetor, whoever it might be. Jason, I gave up on you a long time ago, even if it might not have seemed like it. I thank you for your apology, but there was no need for it. I knew that our fates were separate the day I met with Venus. On Olympus that day, when I asked for protection from love forever, it was because I knew that it was my destiny. And I knew that my birth made it so that I would always protect those who swear themselves to me. You might not have this attachment, for whatever reason, Jason, but I always have and always will feel responsible for those who swear to me. It is my duty, my life, my history, and my destiny."

Reyna finally turned to him. She dropped her hands to her sides, and her expression was one of exhaustion. Jason watched her in shock and grief. She had given up on him a long time ago—long before he even realized that she'd liked him. She had truly and literally given everything up for those under her command.

Reyna seemed to notice his expression of pity and longing because her jaw stiffened. She snapped, "You've found your happiness elsewhere, Jason. Enjoy it. Our destinies have always been different. I know you never had any feelings for me, and I lost all semblances of romantic attachment when I swore off love on Olympus. I'm not interested in your pity."

Jason flinched. He finally knew in reality it was _his_ fault Reyna had sworn off love forever. She had chosen to live out her life by herself because he had hurt her so much, even if it was all inadvertent on his choice.

"Do I have your forgiveness?" He asked softly.

Reyna wouldn't meet his eyes. She seemed to be staring right through him, instead of at him. Reluctantly, she nodded.

Jason just watched her. He could feel his eyes getting watery at seeing her dejection and feeling his own as well. "It might have happened, you know," he whispered.

Reyna turned back to the sea.

"I can't say I _never_ felt anything for you, Reyna," he continued when she didn't responded. "You're amazing—smart, beautiful, powerful, and everything a guy could ask for. When I met Cupid… He made me admit that I doubted whether or not I had found true love with Piper. I know that we have nothing for each other anymore, what with your vow and my being sworn to Piper, but I wanted you to know that your feelings weren't exactly unrequited. I think, under different circumstances, we probably would have been together, as most praetor pairs are by the end of their terms."

He felt a strange sense of relief at admitting his deepest suspicions instead of the dread he had expected to feel. He had chosen Piper, but he knew it was foolish to keep lying to himself. In another universe, he suspected that he and Reyna would have been spending their lives together, in happiness and love.

Reyna didn't respond for a few minutes, and she kept looking out over the sea.

"The past is the past, Jason," she said finally, turning to him slowly, "and it does not do to dwell on what might have been. We must focus on what _is_ and what _will_ be. We need to stay to our reality or be destroyed by our mental questions and doubts. I thank you for sharing your secrets, but we are not working together anymore. We have gone our separate ways. We are both sworn to serve our fellow half-bloods. You've found love with the Daughter of Love. I am sworn to continue the legacy of Rome and protect those under my command with all my being."

Jason watched her in sadness. She was basically telling him to get out of her personal life now.

"Can we at least be friends, Reyna?"

"I never stopped being your friend, Jason," Reyna said, tired, "even if you stopped being mine for a while. And I've never stopped looking out for you, either. I've always been the senior praetor, and you were always under me. I was born to protect those who serve under me."

Reyna closed her eyes for a brief second before reopening them. Jason could see that she no longer felt anything romantic towards him. But he also saw that she only felt dejection within her now, and he couldn't help but blame himself… Because at the end of the day, he would always consider her to be his biggest 'what if?' He would be lying if he said he still didn't feel some sort of affection for her, but he knew that his chance was gone. He should have taken it a long time ago, back when the two of them were still close friends.

"Thanks, Reyna."

Reyna merely nodded. "Is that all? I really do need to go pack now, and you should, too."

"Yeah. That's all."

Reyna gave him another nod and turned to walk away. On an impulse, he grabbed her arm before she was gone and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. Reyna didn't respond for a second, and Jason was afraid he had overstepped some sort of boundary. But soon enough, she just gave a dejected sigh and hugged him back. Not a second later, she pulled away, though, and went back to her quarters.

Jason felt his heart plummet.

He felt someone take his hand squeeze it. He turned to his side and saw Piper next to him. He immediately braced himself for something bad to happen, but Piper just watched Reyna's retreat in sadness.

"How long were you there?" He asked his girlfriend cautiously.

"I saw and heard the entire thing," she answered simply.

Jason was scared. His heart began to race, and his mind began to come up with excuses for whatever she might ask him. Piper just gave him a bitter smile.

"You don't have to be scared of anything, Jason. I still love you, and I know you still choose me."

Jason nodded, not trusting his voice.

"I hope she does find true happiness," Piper said softly. "I can tell she's been through a lot. She deserves a happy ending, too."

Something clicked in Jason's mind, and he felt like someone was slapping him silly. _While the new Queen stands proud and tall_. The prophecy's line rang in his ears.

"Piper, Reyna's name means Queen in Spanish… Do you think—"

"That she could be the Queen in the Prophecy?"

Jason nodded.

"I don't know. I asked Annabeth and Nico about it, but they're not saying anything. If they know what this prophecy is talking about, they're not telling anyone or sharing what they know."

Jason looked at his girlfriend strangely. "Why aren't you biting my head off for what I told Reyna?"

Piper gave him a wry grin. "Jason, I'm not a fool, and in fact, when it comes to matters of the heart, I'm quite an expert. I know that you always had some feelings for Reyna, but I trusted you. And honestly," she squeezed his hand, "I feel bad for her… Octavian was right, you know… She shouldn't have had to shoulder a job meant for two people for so long all by herself, even if she's loyal to the soldiers under her command. She should have had help. She is a strong woman, and she is a worthy person."

"Have you talked to her?"

Piper gave a nod. "She and I have more in common than you might think. And Reyna's a great listener. Actually, it's pretty late by the time we get to bed in our chambers. Hazel is always telling some stupid story about how Frank messed up in front of Nico and then wet his pants, or Annabeth is complaining about Percy, or Thalia is complaining about boys' stupidity… We all know each other pretty well."

Piper laughed at Jason's indignant expression.

"Oh come on! Don't tell me you guys don't complain about us in your room," she teased.

Jason's face turned bright red because yes, the guys did share complaints about how girls were harder to understand than prophecies every other night.

Piper just laughed again and led them off to the Council House.

* * *

Nico had gone to find Percy and Annabeth after leaving Jason and Reyna. He found both of them sitting along with Calypso, Leo, Hazel, Thalia, and Frank in the Council House.

With a nod of acknowledgement to all of those assembled, Nico turned to Annabeth. "You wanted me, Lady Marshall?"

"You can cut the formality, Nico. We're in private conversation now," Annabeth smirked.

Nico relaxed but kept his visage expressionless.

"I'm sending Leo and Calypso with you guys to Europe," Annabeth finally said.

Nico raised his eyebrow. "Why?"

Annabeth turned a sardonic grin to her friend. "As much as I'm very much sure of everyone's intelligence, none of us can use the _Argo II_ without Leo. You'll need him to take you guys there and bring you back. And I'm sending Lady Calypso because someone has to chaperone."

Nico's eyebrow rose further. He could understand the logic behind sending Leo, but he didn't understand why Calypso had to come as well.

"Very well, Annabeth. Are we all still departing tonight?"

"Yes, you eight will leave after evening muster tonight."

"What exactly are we doing in Paris, Annabeth?" Percy asked.

Annabeth's eyes darkened, but she turned to her fiancé. "I need you guys to find a book of ancient Greek myths. It's going to give us all the answers we need."

Percy looked at her in confusion but nodded.

"So that's going to leave you, Hazel, and Piper in charge of running Fort Olympus when we're gone," Thalia said.

Annabeth nodded. "We can do it," she said confidently. "I expect nothing major happening. And besides, if all goes well, you'll all be back within five days, and we can return to our normal schedules."

Annabeth and Percy left their friends in the Council House.

Nico noticed Frank looking at him with a slight sense of fear. He inwardly smirked. "I'm not going to kill you, Zhang. You can stop with your fear of me now."

Frank whimpered. Hazel kissed her boyfriend. Nico cracked up. Leo and Calypso watched in amusement. Thalia watched impassively but with just the correct amount of mirth in her eyes.

Nico chuckled. "We're going to be going through the ancient lands again, Frank. We have to be able to rely on and trust each other."

Frank nodded. "You know, you're pretty scary for an overprotective older brother."

Nico smirked. "Thank you. I try."

Hazel glared at her brother while also trying to comfort her boyfriend. Hazel and Frank eventually left to get ready for the trip.

Leo and Calypso gave some excuse that they had plans to go to or something, leaving Thalia and Nico observing each other in silence.

"You don't always have to keep that façade of strength, you know," Nico said finally.

Thalia raised her eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"I know you're hiding a lot of pain behind that mask of yours, Thalia, and I want you to know that it's okay to show emotion and your hurt every once in a while. Trust me, keeping everything to yourself gets ridiculously harmful to yourself after a while. I've been there and done that. I would know."

Thalia observed him for a minute before nodding slowly. "Do you still blame the Huntresses for Bianca's death?"

Nico looked at her in sadness for a minute before shaking his head. "No, I don't. I learned pretty quickly that holding a grudge accomplishes nothing. It's better to just let go and live life to its fullest."

Thalia nodded. "I'm proud of you."

Nico gave her a sad smile. "Thank you for protecting me, for doing all you could. You never had to."

Thalia gave him a thin smile. "Someone had to watch out for you when you were watching out for all the others, Nico."

Nico said nothing. Thalia pulled him into a hug that he gladly returned. They eventually broke apart, and she left to prepare for their departure.

Nico headed to the Marshall's office, knowing that she was waiting for him.

* * *

Percy and Annabeth were kissing on her office's couch as Nico walked in.

He smirked at the sight. "You know, guys, when someone says to get a room, it usually implies one with a locked door."

The two lovers jumped apart at their friend's voice with their faces the color of ripe tomatoes.

Nico resisted the urge to crack up.

"You wanted to talk to me, both of you?" He asked finally.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to both of you," Annabeth said.

Percy and Nico shared a surprised look before turning back to the Marshall.

"When you guys are in Europe, I want you to keep an eye out for anything that might seem… strange."

"Strange how?" Percy asked cautiously.

Annabeth shook her head. "I don't know," she admitted. "The ancient lands are already bad as it is, but I sense something is off, more off than normal. Just… keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. There's something wrong in the East, and I fear what might be coming."

Instantly, Nico was alert. He remembered Lady Hestia's warning the other day: _The typhoon approaches from the East_.

"Hestia warned me about something going on in the East," Nico finally said.

Annabeth's eyebrows scrunched together, but she didn't look particularly surprised.

"Juno told Reyna something similar a few week ago, too."

"Do you guys know what it means?" Percy asked.

"No," Nico shook his head. "We couldn't make heads or tails of it. Do you know, Annabeth?"

Annabeth wouldn't meet his eyes. "I have many ideas," she admitted, "each worse than the next. Hopefully my guesses are all proven wrong."

Percy and Nico exchanged worried looks. If something could manage to scare Annabeth, they weren't sure if they wanted to meet it.

"Come," Annabeth said finally, "it's time to go see the results of the elections. And I'm sure you guys still have to vote."

Nico swore under his breath. He pulled out his iPad from his pocket and quickly cast his votes. He noticed Percy do the same next to him.

* * *

The presiding Council was gathered in the Council House. The citizens of Fort Olympus had done their best to fit into the House. They were all interested to hear the results of the elections. The Councilors were dressed in their traditional clothing. The Greek Councilors were wearing their silver chitons, and the Roman Councilors were wearing their golden togas.

Rachel and Ryan stood and turned to face the subjects of the Fort. As the Oracle and Augur of Apollo, it had been decided that it would be their duty to arbiter the elections. They had given sacrifices to their Patron, the God of Truth, to watch over the election and see that it was fair.

"Heroes and Councilors," Ryan announced, "the results of the election are in. The newly elected officers will take their roles in exactly one week from today, and they will serve until the next elections on the next summer solstice."

Rachel waved her hand, and the screens above the Councilors' table began to glow with Apollo's golden bow.

"The winners of the election will find themselves with their names above," Rachel said.

"For the Roman Councilors," Ryan intoned, "the following demigods have been elected by their peers to join in the decision-making process: Dakota Vin, Son of Bacchus; Brenda Velaru, Daughter of Ceres; Hank Voiture, Son of Mercury; Aliya Stal, Daughter of Vulcan; and Katharina Waffe, Daughter of Mars."

"For the Greeks," Rachel picked up, "the following demigods have been elected by their peers: Clarisse La Rue, Daughter of Ares; Malcolm Neart, Son of Athena; Katie Gardner, Daughter of Demeter; William Solace, Son of Apollo; and Travis Stoll, Son of Hermes."

"Elections for the new praetors have produced some interesting results," Ryan announced.

Annabeth raised her eyebrow at this. She wondered what these interesting results were exactly.

"Senior Praetor Reyna Ramirez-Arellano has been reelected for her third term as praetor of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata. The strangest result of this election is the second praetor of New Rome…

Ryan paused for a minute, and he and Rachel shared an apprehensive look. Rachel gave him an encouraging nod.

Ryan took a deep breath before continuing, "The second praetor has been elected to his first term… For the first time in history, the Twelfth Legion Fulminata has elected a Son of Pluto to its leadership. Nico di Angelo will be joining the mantle along with Praetor Arellano."

There was utter silence in the room at the announcement. Nico and Reyna exchanged shocked looks. The rest of the Councilors were utterly dumbfounded. _Never_ in history had a child of the Underworld been elected to lead a Roman legion before. They refocused on the messengers of Apollo, though, because they knew that there were still results to finish announcing.

"As for the banishments," Ryan began with a small amount of fear lacing his voice, "The Twelfth Legion Fulminata has elected to banish its three former praetors: Jason Grace, Frank Zhang, and Perseus Jackson."

Ryan looked at Rachel with a pleading expression. Rachel just gave him a look that told him to stay strong.

Percy, Frank, and Jason all had their jaws dropped. Every election period, the Roman legionnaires were allowed to write in the name of someone they wanted to banish from the legion. If at least 60% of the legion said the same name, it would be brought before the Senate to approve or disapprove. Usually, no one got that large a majority, and it was just a formality that was kept on election cards just to honor tradition. Most of the time, no one would even list a name they wanted banished.

"As reigning and future praetor," Reyna interrupted Ryan before he could continue, "I veto these banishments. However, I would like to hear the written reasons, if you wouldn't mind, Councilor Tae."

Ryan turned to Reyna with fear in his eyes. Reyna gave him an encouraging nod, and he slightly relaxed. "The reason for all of three of them, Praetor Arellano, was the same. The Roman legionnaires believe they have been abandoned by their leaders, and as such, they have asked their leaders to leave the Twelfth Legion Fulminata. They no longer feel safe with any of the three aforementioned in their midst as their leaders."

Reyna considered the explanations for a minute before nodding. "I continue to enforce my veto. Thank you, Councilor Tae. I believe we have one more election result to uncover."

Ryan turned to Rachel and nodded at her.

Rachel turned to the gatherings at large and said, "The Marshall for the coming year shall remain Lady Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena and Hero of Olympus. It was an overwhelming majority voted in Lady Chase's favor, and she carried roughly 79% of the vote."

Ryan and Rachel then said simultaneously, "We swear in the name of our patron Lord Apollo, the god of truth and light, as well as he River Styx that all of these results are true."

Thunder boomed outside, but nothing happened. The truth of the demigods' wishes had been revealed.

"Thank you, Councilor Dare and Councilor Tae," Annabeth said finally, "We appreciate your service."

Annabeth turned to the Fort at large. "The newly elected Councilors are to find their amenities in their chambers tonight. Tomorrow, Councilors di Angelo, Grace, Grace, Arellano, Zhang, Jackson, and Valdez will be traveling to Europe on the _Argo II_ to finish a mission. They will return on the night of the 24th. The inauguration for the newly elected Councilors will take place on the 27th, after these Councilors return and after we have had to finish our deliberations. Strategos Malcolm Neart and Strategos Dakota Vin are now officially asked to return with Division 3 and Division 6 to Fort Olympus as soon as possible. All of the newly elected Councilors will maintain their titles and rank in the Fort's military hierarchy. To relieve Division 3 in Nashville, Strategos Lou Ellen will be dispatched with Division 10, and to relieve Division 6 in Sonoma Valley, Strategos Connor Stoll will be dispatched with Division 7. You are all dismissed to your duties now. If you wish to join us to send our Councilors on their way to Europe tonight, you are welcome to join us."

Soon enough, the Council House was empty with only the twelve permanent members of the Council of Demigods left. There was a tense atmosphere between them after they'd heard the election's results, but no one had the heart or the energy to discuss them right then.

"Get some rest, guys," Piper said. "You're traveling tonight. We can deal with the results when you're back okay?"

Muttering thanks, Frank and Hazel almost ran out of the room. The other Councilors soon followed in their footsteps.

* * *

That night, the eight people chosen to journey to Europe were standing on the docks. Despite Annabeth's earlier invitation, no one from the Fort had come to see them off on their quest. They were on their own, save their friends on the Council.

"We will succeed," Nico promised his friends with determination in his eyes.

Piper hugged him first before moving on to the others journeying.

"Stay safe and come back," Piper whispered to Reyna when they hugged. Reyna gave Piper a small smile but nodded. "And keep Jason safe for me, okay?"

Reyna snorted. "No promise."

The two girls laughed before Piper moved on.

Annabeth gave all of the travelers a hug as well. She gave her boyfriend a quick kiss before turning to Councilor di Angelo. "You know what is ahead of us better than even I do, Nico," she said grimly.

Nico nodded.

"Watch yourself. Be careful. Come back to us. We need your mental strength and wisdom."

Nico smiled at Annabeth's words. She hugged him quickly.

Hazel couldn't bring herself to let her brother go quickly. She kept him in her embrace for almost five minutes. Finally, she pulled back and kissed his cheek.

Nico smiled down at her and kissed her forehead.

Hazel's eyes were releasing her tears. She had already lost her family. She didn't want to lose her brother.

"Come back to us, okay?" Hazel whispered into her brother's chest.

Nico just nodded. "I promise I will."

Hazel squeezed her eyes shut and hugged him tighter.

Finally, after the last good-byes were sent, the eight chosen ones boarded the _Argo II_, and the trireme took off for Europe, first to stop in Paris. The _Argo II_'s jet propulsion sped it along the way across the Atlantic Ocean.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I was pretty happy with how this chapter turned out.

I really enjoyed writing the Reyna/Jason scene here. Reyna is one of my favorite characters, and it really irks me that Jason has been able to get away with hurting her without any repercussion. I really hope Riordan has some sort of confrontation scene between the two in _The Blood of Olympus_ where he apologizes for leading her on, but I have a feeling that it won't happen given how much he has to write in the last book. Ah well, a guy can dream, right? Also, I have a bit of a plot bunny for a oneshot where Jason tries to talk to Reyna about their past after the war, but it would be a lot less forgiving and calm than the one in there. Anyone interested in reading it? XD

I know I promised some depressing things this chapter, but it didn't feel right to have it just now. I hope you guys really enjoyed the scene with Nico, Minerva, Reyna, and Pluto in the beginning. That was one of my favorites to write so far! :)

I want to hear it from you guys: Does it feel like this story is moving too slowly, or does the story's pace seem just right?

Also, I can imagine that it's probably getting to be a bit difficult to keep all my main plots together, so I'm going to list the main ones below. The list will look completely disjointed and strange, but I promise that they _are_ all connected, and the resolutions will reveal everything.

Main Plotlines:

1. Reyna/Nico friendship and how it developed and where it goes  
2. Countries the gods have been in/Various National Personifications of Athena/European Civil Wars  
3. Palladium/Fall of Troy/Rise of Rome  
4. "The typhoon comes from the East"  
5. Elgin Marbles/Athena as Britannia (a Sea Goddess)  
6. The newest Great Prophecy (To storm or fire the world must fall/ While the new Queen stands proud and tall/ To lead the new Age the Ten must fight/ As Juno's Seven join the Three of Light/ Victory shall be King and conquer Death/ And an Oath to keep with a final breath)  
7. Nico's military/tactical genius along with Athena's/Minerva's blessing  
8. Poseidon's faded family/Poseidon's new love  
9. Ancient Prophecy/"My Grandmother's last act of kindness"  
10. Nico as the Patron of Heroes

I know that it's a lot to keep track of and that a lot of it seems unconnected and strange, but I promise it will all make sense as the story goes on. Again, thanks for reading!

I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this chapter and my story as a whole, especially after this quick synopsis I just posted! Thanks again for reading, and please do leave your review telling me what you think! Also, if you have any suggestions for how I might improve my writing, I am very open to feedback! :)

**Review Replies**:

TheGoddessIsAlive: (Chapter 10) Hahaha I had a lot of fun writing that proposal scene! :) I actually thought it wasn't too bad. :D As for what happens to Poseidon and/or Athena, you will simply have to wait and see! ;D I will say this, though: Poseidon will _not_ be getting a happy ending in this fic, and Athena will be forced to answer the call of duty to her people. Thanks for your review! :)

The Son Of Hades123: (Chapter 10) As of right now, Nico and Reyna can resist Love's all-encompassing power because of Athena's patronage and Aphrodite's approval to her request. We will have to see what happens, though! As of right now, they only have a good friendship that developed because of their common trials and tribulations on their journey back from Europe. I have not decided anything definitively for this fic, though. I'm only "writing to discover", as Stephen King would say, with this fic. I'm just letting the story reveal itself through my writing. I am intrigued by your idea of Nico being grounded to the mortal world with his loyalty to the demigods he has sworn to protect were he to bathe in the River Styx. I don't know if I will do it, but I am intrigued by your supposition! I will definitely keep it in mind. Right now, I can't think of any particular reason why Nico would need to become invulnerable, but as I said, I'm just letting the story reveal itself through my writing without forcing anything. We shall wait and see! I shall not reveal who stole Poseidon's heart just yet! :D You shall have to wait and see! Thank you for your review! :)

Dee3: (Chapter 10) Thanks! :)

Lupita M: (Chapter 10) Thank you so much! :)

Specta Rainbow Dash: (Chapter 4) Thank you! :)

Specta Rainbow Dash: (Chapter 10) Thank you for your praise! And, well, they are going to war, so some people will indeed have to die!

koryandrs: (Chapter 10) Thank you! :) I noticed that you also reviewed my fics _Last Wish_ and _The Fall of Truth_. Thank you so much for taking the time to read all these very long pieces! I really appreciate it! I really appreciate your praise! I do want to say that _The Fall of Truth_ has taken a back seat until I finish _Fort Olympus_, though. I hope to finish _Fort Olympus_ in the next couple of months, and I will hopefully pick up _The Fall of Truth_ as soon as I'm done. We shall have to see, though! Again, thanks for your reviews!


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